A warning has been issued by the Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service and South Tyneside Council after a worrying spate of deliberate fires have been set across the residential area that could be putting people’s lives at risk.
The blue light service, alongside the local authority, are urging residents and businesses to be extra vigilant after recent figures show a concerning increase in Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) deliberate fires in the borough. The increase relates to deliberate grassland, loose refuse, and tree shrub fires that has seen an increase in incidents compared to the same time last year (2nd March to 16th April), with 207 incidents compared to 73 in 2024.
Station Manager Jonathan Ramanayake, of Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Deliberate fires don’t only create danger for residents and businesses in the surrounding communities, they also generate risk to life for the fire setters themselves.
“If our firefighters are dealing with incidents regarding deliberate fire setting, it means that when a fire in a building or other emergency is reported to us our resources are elsewhere, which could prove fatal.
“These particular incidents tend to increase during the half term holidays so we would urge parents and guardians to know where your children are during these times. We would even encourage people to look at what events and clubs are being delivered in the local community over the school holidays.”
Cllr Jim Foreman, Lead Member for Housing and Community Safety said: “While we understand that there are large groups of youths who gather socially and just want to hang about with their friends, it is the minority of individuals who do not consider the danger that they are putting themselves in as well as others when they are setting fires.
“We have made safe the areas that need attention until repairs can be made. The Community Safety Partnership is deploying more officers through Project Shield to identify these few people who are causing the problems
“We work hand-in-hand with the fire, police and other partners, community groups and schools to take an early intervention and preventative approach as well as raising awareness about the consequences of anti-social behaviour and its effect on victims. There are plenty of positive activities that youths can engage in throughout the borough rather than causing ASB and criminal damage to their area.”
We would always ask residents if they have any information about incidents in their local area to call FireStoppers anonymously on 0800 169 5558. Alternatively, you can find out further information about TWFRS by visiting www.twfire.gov.uk