GRASS FIRE INCIDENTS GO DOWN
Sources: South Wales Fire Service.
Issued: Wednesday, April 20, 2005.

EASTER SCHOOL HOLIDAY 2005 FIGURES

Local initiatives aimed at tackling the number of grass fires started deliberately over the Easter school holidays have made a real difference, according to new figures released today by South Wales Fire and Rescue Service.

Over the recent Easter holiday (Friday 25th March - Sunday 10th April 2005), fire crews were called to 264 deliberate grass fires in South Wales, a marked 38% reduction on the previous year’s 423. Significantly, the areas that have seen some of the biggest reductions are those where Fire and Rescue Service personnel have been actively engaging with their local communities to warn about the dangers and consequences of deliberately starting fires.

One of these areas, Rhondda Cynon Taf, was proactively targeted with a joint partnership initiative between South Wales Fire and Rescue Service and South Wales Police, outlined in their Ten Point Plan. The Plan, which was re-launched in the run-up to Easter, aimed at reducing the number malicious grass fires being started in the area and also detailed how the police would deal with the offenders.

As set out in the Plan, fire crews visited the local schools to speak to the pupils about grass fires, and Tonypandy Fire Station held a series of fun diversionary activities during the holiday for young people at risk of offending. Although still South Wales’ worst affected area, grass fires in Rhondda Cynon Taf over this year’s Easter period were down by over a half from 2004, with a 54% reduction from 151 to 70. Other local authorities that witnessed over a 50% reduction in deliberately started grass fires this year include Blaenau Gwent, down 59% from 27 to 11, and Newport, down 56% from 39 to 17.

Firefighters in all areas visited their local schools before Easter, to make the pupils aware of the dangers of lighting fires, their effect on wildlife and the environment, and the consequences should they be caught and prosecuted. The reduction of grass fires in Torfaen and Monmouthshire, down by a third this year, could also be attributed to the success of Operation Blorenge, a multi-agency approach to tackling grass fires on the Blorenge and nearby mountains.

Launched at the end of March, Operation Blorenge involves a Police helicopter, quad bikes and 4x4 vehicles being used to monitor the mountainside, to locate and identify deliberate fire-setters. To date, crews from South Wales Fire and Rescue Service have not been called to the Blorenge, or any of the surrounding mountain areas, to extinguish any deliberately started grass fires there.

Chief Fire Officer Brian Fraser said: “It is clear from these figures, that local initiatives and partnerships are having a great deal of success in reducing the number of grass fires being started deliberately started by individuals. However, we need to build on this success even further, as we simply cannot tolerate this level of deliberate fire setting, which puts lives, properties, wildlife and the environment at increased risk. We will do this by continuing to invest our time and people in developing and running local projects in the communities of South Wales, to further raise awareness of all aspects of fire safety. We would encourage all people to keep themselves, their family and their homes safe from fire at all times, and to contact their local Fire Station if they need any help and advice on how to do this.”