DRONES ON PATROL TO SPOT ARSONISTS
Police action to cut lethal grass fires
DRONES and plainclothes officers will be used to deter potential arsonists before they start devastating grass fires in the Valleys this spring and summer.
Police have also issued a strong warning to potential arsonists ahead of the Easter weekend, which has previously seen a spike in grass fires as the weather traditionally becomes warmer.
Dozens of huge grass fires were tackled by emergency crews last year, with crews battling more than 70 grass fires in the space of 48 hours that could have “cost people’s lives” in March.
The drones will be used to spot arsonists across vast rural areas in South Wales and plain-clothes officers will patrol areas at risk.
South Wales Police sergeant Richie Gardiner said: “I think the benefits are in terms of the plain clothes and us communicating with the community is telling the public and reassuring them that we are out there every day until the end of May.
“The plain clothes officers will patrol areas where sometimes we can’t g get to.
“But it’s important we get out into these rural areas, that we are seen in these rural areas and that officers give advice to the dog walkers with their animals, give advice to people out there who are enjoying the countryside but maybe y in a way y that doesn’t fit in with what the laws expect.
“We also want to deter people, we want people to understand that if you are out there and partaking in things that are illegal that person walking around the corner could be an officer and we will take positive action.”
Sgt Gardiner was talking at a demonstration near Tonypandy of the drones to be used to assist emergency crews.
Mountainsides across the Valleys were left smoking and charred in 2017 after grass fires were started, with one spreading to the size of more than 160 rugby pitches.
Sgt Gardiner said of the land that seeing “blackened” mountainsides adds to the “stigma that we need to get rid of” in the Valleys.
South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said the drones would also be used to spot potential areas that could be at risk.
South Wales Fire group manager head of fire crime unit Matt Jones said: “It is a crime, it does have an impact on communities and the environment.”
He added that tackling the blazes has an impact on firefighters, too, who can spend several hours dealing with the fire.
Mr Jones said: “Grass fires are an unnecessary requirement for our firefighters – they put them at risk.”