Rise in ‘deliberate fires’ linked to Telford hotspots
A huge increase in deliberate fires has been mainly due to rubbish-related blazes at hotspots in Telford, a meeting heard.
Shropshire & Wrekin Fire Authority members were told that fire crews attended 98 deliberate fires from April to June this year compared to 52 that were reported to the committee last year.
Scott Hurford, Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service area manager for transformation and collaboration, said: “In quarter 1 there is an increase in the number of deliberate fires, with significant increases seen in months April and May.”
He told a meeting of the standards, audit and performance committee on Tuesday (September 30) that the “figures were impacted by patterns of arson in Oakengates and Telford generally, and a number of incidents at Stoke Heath Prison”.
In June this year Telford & Wrekin Council said there had been a ‘recent isolated spike in anti-social behaviour in the town’. At that time the mayor of Oakengates Stephen Reynolds said the town council had been “bombarded with issues”.
The committee heard that the “vast majority” of deliberate fires involved wheelie bins and rubbish.
Shropshire Councillor Rosie Radford (Liberal Democrats, Ellesmere Urban) asked whether there is a link to Shropshire Council’s introduction of a charge for garden waste collections.
Simon Hardiman, the chief fire officer, said it is a question that is asked at its internal performance and risk group.
The committee heard that they would be given feedback on that question.
The committee was also told that the fire service collaborates with Telford & Wrekin Council and police on the subject of deliberate fires.
Councillors were told that the total number of fires attended across April, May and June was 323, an increase of 19.1 per cent which was pushed up by a 22.5 per cent increase in refuse-related fires.
In contrast there has been a 16.6 per cent reduction in fires involving buildings and vehicles.
In that time there were also eight physical injuries to staff, a figure that is in line with previous years.
The committee was also told that the fire service got to blazes on time on 94 per cent of occasions. Its targets are to reach fires in urban areas in 10 minutes, in fringe areas within 15 minutes while 20 minutes is its expected time for rural areas.
Councillors were told that there were 16 occasions when the response time target was not achieved, half being due to access issues or travel distance.
