MORE than 100 deliberate grassland fires took place in Barnsley during an unprecedented five-week period in June and early July, the Chronicle can reveal.
Statistics, which run from June 1 to July 9, show there were 102 call-outs - more than three times as many as the same dates in 2017 and ten times higher than 2016’s figure where just 11 were recorded.
Although incidents in parks, allotments, moorlands and woodlands have remained at their average - about three per month - fires started on scrubland and farmer’s fields have risen dramatically across Barnsley.
The heatwave, which has seen temperatures rise as high as 30C in June and July with very little rainfall, has exacerbated the problem, according to South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue (SYFR), as dry grass is much easier to light.
Simon Brookes, community safety manager for SYFR, said: “There’s been a big increase in deliberate fires and it’s having a big impact on crews who are responding to reports from the public.
“We attend the scene and can spend hours dealing with the flames - we’re in the midst of a heatwave where there’s been hardly any rain so the ground is dry and temperatures are very hot.
“Those responsible may not know it as it might appear to be a small, trivial fire, but their actions are putting lives at risk and it’s important that a warning is sent out to make them stop.”
Crews fear schools’ upcoming summer holidays will further stretch their resources and lead to more incidents taking up their time.
“We’ve been sending appliances to the big fire in Saddleworth every day, which has been an extremely serious incident that’s gone on for a few weeks,” Simon added. “That leaves us already stretched, so grassland fires can add up and take us away from something else.
“We’re aware that it’s predominantly youngsters who have been responsible and we have done a lot of work in schools, particularly around Lundwood recently, where there has been a lot of incidents.
“But with the summer holidays upon us, I appeal to parents to tell their children about the dangers of starting fires and the effect is has.”
Deliberate fires across Barnsley have fallen significantly over the decade, although incident numbers do vary year-on-year, with heatwaves traditionally seeing a rise in statistics.
Guidelines have also been issued this week to prevent accidental fires starting in the countryside as scores of people take advantage of the long period of sunny conditions.
“It’s important not to start open fires in the countryside,” a spokesperson from SYFR said. “Make sure any barbecue is only used in a suitable location and is extinguished properly after use.
“Cigarettes can often cause a fire, as can bottles or glass - sunlight shining through glass, due to the sheer heat generated, can also start a fire.
“But any small fire has the potential to spread and to become a more significant incident, and to potentially divert our resources from attending a more serious incident.
“Our fire crews and control staff have seen a large increase in incidents of this type over the last few weeks in Barnsley. Though this is a very busy period for us, local residents should be reassured that we do still have resources ready to respond to 999 calls.
“Anyone with information about people starting fires in their area should call police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
