Grass fires can kill, warn Fire Chiefs
South Wales Fire Chiefs are warning that the grass fires that have been sweeping the area over the past month could soon claim lives.
In the first two weeks of April, Firefighters from South Wales Fire and Rescue Service attended nearly one and a half thousand grass fires. Nearly all of these were deliberately set, mostly by children and young people.
Assistant Chief Fire Officer of the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Kevin Barry issued a stark warning to people who deliberately set grass fires.
“What starts out as a bit of seemingly harmless fun could easily turn into a terrible tragedy”, he said.
“Grass fires are dangerous and unpredictable. They can get out of hand very quickly, and can spread out of control within minutes. Sooner or later, someone is going to be seriously hurt, or even killed as a result of these fires. That could either be a Firefighter tackling the fires, one of the young people who are setting them, or even an innocent householder who may be affected if the fire spreads out of control and threatens nearby towns and villages”
“Several of our Firefighters have been taken to hospital with heat exhaustion, having battled for hours in warm weather and heavy protective clothing to beat the flames, sometimes walking for miles across a mountain, and some have sustained injuries after falling on steep hill and mountain sides”
ACO Barry added:
“What people forget is that if our Firefighters are half way across a mountain battling against these fires, they may be delayed in attending genuine emergencies such as people trapped in house fires or road traffic accidents”.
“We are joining with the Police and other partners to crack down on those who set deliberate fires. We are taking a zero tolerance approach to anyone caught deliberately lighting them and will pull out all the stops to ensure they are caught and prosecuted.”
We urge parents to keep an eye out and make sure their children are not involved in setting fires. We would also ask people to report anyone they see deliberately lighting fires, or suspect of starting fires, by calling their local police station or telephoning Crimestoppers on 0800 555111. All calls are completely confidential.”