Investigation into dumped rubbish blaze
AN INVESTIGATION has been launched into a fire at a derelict caravan and piles of rubbish after it spread to nearby trees.
Fire crews were yesterday continuing to monitor the blaze site at Wentloog Road, St Mellons, Cardiff, because there is around 25 tonnes of rubbish dumped at the site, including four caravans.
A spokeswoman for South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said the fire is suspected to have been caused deliberately and the fire crime team have been keeping an eye on the site since the incident last week.
She said that fly-tipping within the area had grown dramatically over the past two weeks and the team has been liaising with the local authority and Natural Resources Wales to clean up the site.
Dean Loader, the service’s head of community safety and partnerships, said: “One or two bags of rubbish or a piece of furniture dumped can attract more – there is a cost to us all, a drain on emergency services resources, environmental damage, loss of wildlife and risk to property and life, especially during this time of national crisis.
“I would like to remind residents that they do have a legal obligation to take all reasonable measures to ensure that their waste is disposed of properly. We recommend to always using a registered waste carrier and to check for a permit, license, or exemption.”
Last year there were nearly 4,000 rubbish fires across Wales with the main causes being household bin bags, fly-tipped furniture and litter.
A spokeswoman for the fire service said: “Rubbish fires are extremely dangerous and can lead to a strain on resources when there could be other emergencies where lives are in danger.
“There is no excuse for fly-tipping. If you choose to dump rubbish you could be fuelling the fire and choosing to contribute to a tragedy. Please take responsibility and ensure your waste is disposed of correctly.”