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Grass and woodland fires are arson

Heatwave could have led to major incidents after fires were started

Blazes on consecutive days in Torquay started deliberately

Two fires at the weekend are being treated as arson, Devon and Somerset Fire Service has confirmed. Both were in the Torquay area and could have been catastrophic.

The first, on Saturday resulted in a grassed area of around 100 by 50 metes being damaged.

On Sunday, a fire in a woodland area took hold easily and spread quickly. Fire crews were concerned about it spreading to nearby homes. Several suspects were seen running away from this fire. Police say they've put lives, including their own, at risk. Together with colleagues in the fire service they're remind people that wild fires not only damage the environment, they can spread fast and change direction in an instant.

Sergeant Nichola Drury from Devon and Cornwall Police says: “In these adverse weather conditions any fire within wooded areas has the ability to start a fire such as we have seen in Manchester. Deliberately starting a fire is irresponsible and could have catastrophic consequences. It is a crime and any offender identifies for these crimes will be dealt with robustly.”

 

Alan Gilson, Community Safety Prevention Manager explained: "We want people to be able to enjoy the countryside, but ask them to be vigilant during drier weather to help prevent more wild fires in the future. A change in wind direction can cause the fire to spread rapidly, putting fire fighters at risk as well as nearby people and property."

 

To avoid a wild fire starting, they advise:

 

• extinguishing cigarettes and other smoking materials properly 
• never throwing cigarette ends out of car windows 
• not leaving bottles or glass in woodlands – sunlight shining through glass can start fires; take them home or put them in a waste or recycling bin.
• avoiding using open fires in the countryside 
• reporting fires immediately 
• not attempting to tackle fires that can’t be put out with a bucket of water – leave the area as quickly as possible.

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