South Yorkshire fire crews respond to spate of arson attacks

Seven deliberate fires were extinguished by fire crews in Sheffield and South Yorkshire overnight, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue (SYFR) have revealed.

Firefighters responded to a number of incidents across Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley and Doncaster between 7.45pm on Sunday and 4.30pm on Monday, January 29, with the vast majority said to have been started deliberately.

A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said: "Deliberate fires like these waste our time and resources but, more importantly, they put lives and property at risk.

"If you have any information about a deliberate fire, contact FireStoppers by phone on 0800 169 5558, or by filling in the online form at www.firestoppersreport.co.uk. Any details you provide will be passed on to us for investigation.

 "There are also some simple tips you can follow to help prevent arson. Take your wheelie bins out in the morning, instead of at night and don’t leave any rubbish, such as cardboard, in your front garden or in plain sight."

Six of the fires identified as being started deliberately involved rubbish or bins. The other was a deliberate car fire in Intake, Doncaster at 10.40pm.

In Sheffield, crews responded to a deliberate rubbish fire on Alison Crescent, Manor, at 7.45pm - leaving the scene at 8.05pm.

Crews from the central station in Sheffield responded to a deliberate bin fire at 7.50pm on Sands Close off of Gleadless Road. They left the scene after extinguishing the fire at 8.15pm.

Firefighters in Rotherham were called to a deliberate rubbish fire on Magna Way, Templeborough, at 8.25pm - leaving the scene at 8.45pm.

At 8.50pm, two wheelie bins were deliberately set alight on Greenacre Close, Gleadless, in Sheffield. Crews from the Birley station attended and left at 9.10pm.

Rivelin firefighters were called out to a deliberate rubbish fire at 11:05pm on Northfield Close, Crookes, Sheffield. The crew left the scene at 11:20pm. At 2.20am, a bin was deliberately set on fire on Wordsworth Avenue in Parson Cross. Crews extinguished the fire and left at 2.40am.

Finally, three fire crews from Cudworth, Barnsley and Tankersley attended an accidential fire in an outhouse at 4.30am on Hill Top Avenue in Athersley North, Barnsley. The crews came away at 7.05am.