Working together to tackle rise in deliberate ‘secondary fires’
Fire brigade chiefs have highlighted working with other organisations in the area as being key to “problem solving” and tackling a rising number of deliberate secondary fires in Tyne and Wear.
From April until the end of December 2021, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service recorded 3,944 deliberate secondary fires, an increase of 35% compared to the previous year.
Secondary incidents are generally small outdoor fires, not involving people or property, and can include blazes involving refuse, grassland and minor fires in derelict buildings or vehicles.
Officers noted last year’s figures were impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, and as lockdown measures eased, increases in activities relating to antisocial behaviour and secondary fires have been reported.
However, the overall deliberate secondary fires figure is also 18% higher than the fire and rescue service’s target for 2021/22, which takes into account factors such as the pandemic and longer term data.
Blazes involving loose refuse were reported as the most common deliberate secondary incidents, and fire and rescue service officers stressed they are taking a multi-agency approach to try and clampdown on the issue.
Phil Clark, area manager for strategy and performance, said: “It’s a key component of
the work that our district managers and station managers are doing with local authorities and problem solving groups to reduce the occurrences.
“We’ve seen the easing of lockdown restrictions, but we have seen a huge increase in deliberate secondary fires.
“By working together as a multi-agency approach and getting the rubbish off the streets in the first place, there’s nothing there to burn.”
In Sunderland and South Tyneside, CCTV, police, fire service and local authority patrols have worked to identify, report and remove loose refuse, along with using social media messaging and targeted letter drops.
Reports showed during the period 466 deliberate secondary fires were recorded in North Tyneside and 434 in South Tyneside, all higher than the target indicators set for the areas.
In Sunderland 1,181 of the incidents were recorded, which made it the only district recording positive levels lower than its target.