Shropshire arson attacks: 999 crews appeal after spate of fires
Staffordshire firefighters have joined the call for people to be vigilant after a spate of arsons around Newport and Market Drayton.
A series of incidents have happened in the Newport and Market Drayton areas, with the fires involving barns, vehicles, bales of hay and straw.
One of those affected, Adrian Marsh from Tern Hill near Market Drayton, lost more than 600 tonnes of straw and a barn in a fire at Yew Tree Lane, Wistanswick – just over a week after 65 tonnes of straw was set on fire on his land.
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service said these fires, which have been started deliberately, not only divert vital services away from other, potentially life-threatening situations, they also put crews, farmers, residents and wildlife at risk. They today joined with Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service in a bid to keep people safe and prevent similar incidents in future.
Prevention manager Carmel Warren from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service and fire crime officer, Derek Taylor, from Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service, issued a joint statement:
In it, they said: "
Fire crews have attended a range of incidents that have been deliberately started. These fires have the potential to be extremely hazardous.
"They also put a huge strain on operational resources and can have a devastating impact on the rural economy as well as on the individual farmers affected."
