'Always a consequence' to arson, says fire chief

A senior firefighter in York has warned of the "knock-on effects" of careless or anti-social fires in the city.

North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service (NYFRS) has responded to a large number of suspected arson attacks in recent weeks, including a field fire causing about £30,000 of damage.

In the first six months of the year, fire crews in the city attended more than 100 fires believed to have been started deliberately.

"If a fire goes out of control, it could set fire to someone's property, someone's vehicle, it could hurt somebody," said NYFRS group manager Lee Adkin.

He said the issue was "causing a big problem at the moment", with incidents exacerbated by recent hot weather.

"Everything's really dry on the floor," he said.

"Kids are going out playing with fire. It spreads so quickly."

It also increased pressure on the service, Adkin said, with firefighters potentially delayed when responding to other incidents.

He warned that youths responsible could face "serious trouble", even though it "may seem fun at the time".

"There's always a consequence."

On Sunday, fire crews from York, Acomb and Selby responded to a fire at Hob Moor Nature Reserve in York, measuring approximately 650 x 1000 ft (200 x 300m).

The incident is being investigated as suspected arson by North Yorkshire Police.

A spokesperson said inquiries were ongoing and appealed for anyone with information about how it started to contact officers.

A week earlier, on 12 July, emergency services and farmers worked together to put out a fire on fields in Woodthorpe.

Two boys and two girls, all aged 14, were arrested on suspicion of arson but have since been released under investigation.

Adkin said work to prevent such incidents included school visits during term-time and campaigns to make teenagers and parents more aware of the risks.

Incidents were investigated thoroughly, he added, with fire specialists working alongside police.

"If someone has set a deliberate fire and it's endangered property, we make sure that we work well and it's investigated," he said.

"If somebody's damaged something from being careless, we want them challenged, definitely, and held to task."

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