Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Inspector slams “senseless destruction”
Police condemned the “senseless destruction” of the parkour course in Tuesday’s fire.
They confirmed that a 16-year-old man “is the subject of a report to the procurator fiscal in connection with alleged fire-raising”.
Inspector Louise Brownlie of Coatbridge police office visited the play area and said :“I was able to see the complete devastation, and it’s clear how intense and dangerous the fire was.
“Nearby trees have been scorched and some of the concrete structures have crumbled under the intense heat.
“The consequences could have been worse had the scene not been controlled so quickly and the fire extinguished.
“I’m appalled at the senseless destruction of this very popular park.
“There has been a spate of fires in the Monklands area over the past couple of weeks. People should think about the consequences of starting fires.
“Even minor fires can get out of control very quickly and can cause injury and damage to property.”
Firefighters from the Coatbridge station were on the scene within five minutes of a 999 call just before 5.30pm.
They discovered the rubber matting on fire and used two high-pressure jets to extinguish the flames, leaving the scene shortly before 6pm.
A spokesperson for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: “Deliberate fires put lives at risk and no-one should ever accept them happening in their community.
“What starts as a small fire in open ground can quickly spread to threaten homes and businesses; and toxic smoke can travel across a wider area.
“Our crews work in communities to raise awareness. We would ask parents to help us making sure young people in their care understand that setting fires is never harmless.”