April 16, 2021 - 856 views
As temperatures over the next few weeks are expected to heat up, firefighters are highlighting the issue of delibrate grass fires which can cause safety concerns to farmers and members of the public.
North Wales Fire and Rescue Service is committed to playing a key role in reducing the numbers of deliberate grassland and heath land fires.
Deliberate wildfires in Wales are the cause of damage to large areas of habitat, conservation areas, protected sites and species, some of which never recover. Wales is home to many rare and unique species of flora and fauna some of these are present in areas where grass, mountain and forest fires are a significant problem.
There is also a risk to human life and property, each year families are evacuated from their homes because of someone deliberately setting fire to vegetation close to dwellings.
The Arson Reduction Team targets areas of high activity and looks to a range of measures to tackle the problem depending on the particular issues for the area.
The impact of deliberate fire setting undermines social and economic confidence, has an impact on tourism, local jobs and draws on our resources, which could be utilised more effectively elsewhere.
- The Arson Reduction team aims to -
- Reduce the number of countryside fires, which are deliberately set.
- Change the attitude of the community towards the deliberate fire setting in the countryside.
- Take a multi-agency partnership approach by working with North Wales Police, Natural Resources Wales and local Authorities to name a few to address this issue.
- Ensure a consistent message is delivered to our communities on countryside fires.
- Support youth groups to deliver diversionary activities for young people.
Methods include running high visibility and high profile patrols, school talks and diversionary activity with young people, to meeting and discussing controlled burning with farmers and landowners.
Officers have also drawn the public's attention to the issue of fires caused by the discarding of glass or even plastic bottles which can contribute to the starting of fires in the countryside.
As more people begin to experience the country after recent lockdowns and restrictions, North Wales Fire and Rescue have also stressed the importance of making sure that bottles and litter in general, are not carelessly discarded.
