Warning issued over dangers of fireraising

Fires present a danger to life

Fire chiefs have warned of the dangers of deliberate fires as new figures revealed that crews dealt with more than 2,000 such incidents last autumn.

There were 207 deliberate primary fires such as house fires from October 16 to November 9 2015, a rise of 27 from 2014, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said.

Over the same period there were 1,318 deliberate secondary fires which involved outdoor areas such as fields, refuse and countryside.

The SFRS warned that dealing with deliberate fires could take crews away from genuine emergencies and put lives at risk.

Assistant Chief Officer David McGown said they will work closely with police and Crimestoppers to identify those who deliberately set fires.

He said: “Deliberate fires present a danger to life, property and the environment. An emergency is very timecritical and deliberate fires have a potential to delay us.

“We want to stop fires before they start and I hope the public will join our fight against fire by reporting any firerelated anti-social behaviour.”