Firefighters and Darlington Council community officers at Maidendale Nature Reserve in Darlington.
By reducing preventable fires, firefighters can focus on life-saving emergencies like house fires and road traffic collisions.
That’s the message from firefighters in County Durham and Darlington this Anti-Social Behaviour Awareness Week (June 30 to July 4).
Crews from County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (CDDFRS) have attended 1,238 deliberate fires in last three months between April 1 and June 30.
This includes repeated called outs to the same locations, including Maidendale Nature Reserve in Darlington.
CDDFRS Station Manager Kevin Bell said: “Deliberate fires can put lives at risk and have a devasting impact on the community.
“We want to stress that when firefighters are attending these preventable fires, it can affect their ability to respond to critical emergencies like house fires and road traffic collisions.
“Starting deliberate fires, which is known as arson, is a crime that can carry a jail sentence and will stay on a perpetrators criminal record, affecting their future employment opportunities.
“We want to encourage families to speak to their children around the dangers of deliberate fires and the impact it can have on them.”
He continued: “We would also advise residents to keep your bins secure and try not to have them out longer than necessary.
“Businesses should also secure your waste and pack any carboard flat.”
Ahead of the summer holidays, firefighters have been working with Durham Constabulary and both Durham and Darlington councils to raise awareness of the issue in the community and patrol hotspot areas.
Crews have also been visiting schools to deliver presentations on fire setting, water safety and road safety.
Throughout the year, CDDFRS delivers Developing Resilience courses for vulnerable young people which sees them take part in fire and rescue service activities to help them make positive life choices.
The service has said that if members of the public see a fire, they should get to a place of safety immediately and then call 999 and ask for the fire and rescue service.
If you have any information about deliberate fires, you can report it anonymously by calling FireStoppers on 0800 169 5558 or online at: https://forms.theiline.co.uk/firestoppers
