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Fire crews tackle 50 arson cases every week by Chris Mooney |
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FIRE crews are called to deal with 50 arson attacks in Edinburgh every week, new figures revealed today.
Young vandals are the main culprits, starting fires in wheelie bins, abandoned cars, collections of rubbish and empty houses.
Emergency services say the risk of even minor wheelie bin fires escalating and killing someone is too great to ignore.
In a bid to crack down on the problem, safety campaigners, the city council, police and fire chiefs are due to sign a new agreement - the first of its kind in Scotland. Under the agreement, trading standards officers will also investigate all sales of petrol to under-16s.
It is hoped the partnership will allow police to improve its dismal record of failing to solve 80 per cent of fire crimes.
The new protocol will include a better use of Edinburgh s extensive network of CCTV cameras and random spot-checks by the council s community wardens.
Top of the hit list will be firebugs and rubbish carelessly discarded in common stairs and abandoned vehicles, while a new analysis of where fires are started will pinpoint hotspots in the Capital where urgent action is needed.
Inspector Alan Duthie, a police officer who has played a key liaison role in organising the launch,
said: "Whilst these measures are aimed primarily at instances of minor fireraising, it has to be remembered that the difference between a minor fire and a fatal or serious one may only be a matter of minutes or a slight change in circumstances."
Firebugs have been to blame for blazes at Oxgangs Primary School which caused £500,000 worth of damage and the gutting of a Moray House College building in Cramond.
Scots law penalises deliberate and "reckless" fireraising, but at the lower end of the scale both crimes are notoriously opportunistic and difficult to detect, say police.
Wardens and staff from area teams of the housing department will conduct regular safety patrols and "estate walkabouts" to identify items, such as dumped cars, old carpets and used furniture, open to attack from vandals. CCTV operators will have the same brief.
The Environmental Wardens Rapid Response Unit will then take away any items which pose a threat within three hours. Owners of the dumped items face being billed for the costs of an uplift.
Environmental Wardens will also carry out investigations into the abandonment of materials in the street or open air and start legal proceedings against vandals if they are caught.
Fire chiefs will report all instances of apparently abandoned materials considered to be a fire risk to the council s Rapid Response Unit and will carry out community safety awareness sessions with the police in the worst affected neighbourhoods.
Eric Robinson, head of the city council s Regulatory Services said: "We are hopeful [this scheme] will lead to a significant reduction in fire crime in Edinburgh. The enforcement role undertaken by our staff in dealing with abandoned cars, litter and petroleum is pivotal to this tripartite agreement." Senior Divisional Officer Kenneth McKim of Lothian and Borders Fire Brigade, added: "Minor fires within the community can cause distress and concern. These small fires, if not dealt with quickly, can spread to neighbouring cars or houses, causing serious damage. "This initiative will help to drive down the number of times the fire service will have to deal with this type of incident and help prevent the worry and inconvenience they can cause to the community." From Scotsman News |
