Following a significant rise in wheelie bin fires, Cleveland Fire Brigade is appealing to its communities to help ‘wheel it in’ this Easter.
As part of the Brigade’s Spring Arson campaign which runs from Monday 18th March – Monday 15th April 2024 they are asking residents to follow a few simple steps that could help to drastically reduce the number of deliberate fires throughout the Easter period.
Sadly, the Brigade normally experiences a spike in call outs to deliberate fires over the Easter holidays when the schools have broken up and when the temperatures start to rise. In March 2023 deliberate fires cost the Teesside economy approximately £1.43m.
The ‘Wheel It In’ campaign has a particular focus on reducing wheelie bin fires which are a cause for concern for the Brigade as they can quickly and easily spread to property, causing significant damage and putting lives at risk.
Shocking statistics released by the Brigade show that between 1st June 2023 and 6th March 2024 192 wheelie bin fires were recorded within the Cleveland area, of those, 179 were deliberate in nature.
Robin Turnbull, Area Manager, Prevention, Protection and Engagement at Cleveland Fire Brigade said: “We’d like our residents to play their part in helping us to reduce these senseless and preventable deliberate fires which are a huge blight on our communities. Not only do they destroy our beautiful local landscapes and have a huge financial cost to the Teesside economy they also put lives at risk.”
“Attending these fires puts a huge strain on our already limited resources and could slow down our response times and even potentially prevent us from attending an emergency incident where lives are in immediate danger.”
“There are a few simple things you can do to reduce the threat to your property and neighbourhood which involve removing potential fuel sources for arsonists”.
“Keep your family and property safe and help us reduce the number of wheelie bin fire incidents by following our advice below:
- Only put out your bin on the day of collection and bring it in as soon as possible.
- Do not overfill your bin or leave rubbish around it.
- Store your wheelie bin safely and securely and away from property.
- Discard of cigarettes carefully, by making sure they’re fully extinguished and not putting them in your wheelie bin as they can smoulder and cause a fire.
“We’d like to also remind our residents that they are our eyes and ears of our communities, and to remain vigilant over the Easter period. Residents are urged to report any information they have about deliberate fires, no matter how insignificant it may seem, anonymously to FireStoppers. Visit www.firestoppersreport.co.uk to complete the simple online form or call 0800 169 5558. You will remain 100% anonymous. Always.” Added Robin Turnbull.
Click here for more information about keeping your property safe from arson.
