Successful campaign sees drop in deliberate fires
A high-profile campaign by the fire service has been launched in classrooms across south Staffordshire in a bid to build on a dramatic drop in deliberately lit small fires.
The number of grass and bin blazes in the county fell from 1,281 between April and September, 2013, to 866 during the same period last year – a reduction of 32 per cent.
The fall is being put down to the success of the brigade's flames aren't games campaign in other parts of Staffordshire.
Since 2011, when the initiative was launched, the figure has fallen by 55 per cent from a high of 1,906.
Now community safety officers are speaking to hundreds of pupils in the run up to the Easter holiday about the risks involved in setting grass fires.
Carmel Warren, the service's regional prevention manager, said: "The proactive work that we are doing with young people across the area is having a really positive impact on the number of small fires that we are experiencing.
"We have seen, very clearly, that as engagement with pupils increases, grass fires decrease," she said.
"We strongly believe that by educating children from a young age, they will be aware of the potential risks and consequences of deliberately setting fires and will not take part in this kind of anti-social behaviour as they get older.
"We are also keen to highlight the fact that firefighters may be diverted from a house fire or road traffic collision because they have been called to a grass fire. This scenario could see innocent people suffer injury or even death.
"The culprits can also face a fine of up to £5,000, or two years in prison, as well as negatively affecting their future career prospects."
In the west of the county there were 205 small fires between April 1 and August 31, 2014.
This compares to 276 over the same period of time in 2013 and 574 in 2011.
The figures for 2012 are not comparable due to the extremely wet weather during the summer months.
This week the officers were visiting Hednesford Valley High School, Cannock, and schools in Kinver and Codsall next week.
They will increase their programme of visits as the warmer months approach and schools prepare to break up for the six-week summer holidays when arson activity is always highest.
