Shropshire fire chief's warning over 'double-edged sword' as people de-clutter their homes
A Shropshire fire chief has praised people for using the coronavirus lockdown to “de-clutter” their homes because it clears escape routes and reduces the risk of blazes.
But Assistant Chief Fire Officer Simon Hardiman added it was a “double-edged sword”, as many householders are then disposing of that rubbish in bonfires.
He was responding to a question from Shropshire and Wrekin Fire Authority member John Thompson, who asked whether the closure of the county’s public recycling centres was having an impact on fire levels.
A report for the Standards, Audit and Performance Committee said “the ignition of rubbish, possibly through fly-tipping, appears to be the greatest contributor to the number of deliberate fires in the county”, but Officer Hardiman said there had not been a “significant increase” in arson incidents.
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Councillor Thompson asked: “With the skips being closed in Telford and Wrekin and in Shropshire, has there been an increase in fires in the area?”
Officer Hardiman said: “In terms of fires, we are not seeing a significant increase in deliberate fires across the county but we are seeing an increase in bonfires.
“That is absolutely linked to the point you just raised there.
“People are using the lockdown to de-clutter, get rid of rubbish from their houses.
Imploring
“As a result of the recycling centres being closed, people are choosing to set bonfires in the rear of their premises. We have seen an increase in that.
“It’s almost a double-edged sword. On the one hand, we should be applauding individuals because they are reducing the likelihood of a fire occurring in the house and they are also maintaining escape routes.
“I actually did a radio interview earlier this week and it was very much around imploring individuals to store their rubbish appropriately until such time as the recycling centres reopen rather than setting fire to it.”
He said this was partly because of the risk of the bonfires getting out of control, but also because of the effect smoke might have on neighbours’ respiratory health.
The committee was discussing Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service’s performance against its 2019-20 targets. These included an aim to keep the number of deliberate fires to 547 or fewer, which was achieved comfortably, with only 396 incidents.
Like others around the country, the seven household recycling centres across the Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin council areas are currently closed, following government guidance.
Earlier this week Robert Jenrick MP, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, has now told councils to start planning for their reopening.
Telford & Wrekin Council leader Shaun Davies said: “There is still no clear guidance from the government on how this should be managed.”
