How rubbish bins become fuel for arsonists

BUSINESSES across West Yorkshire have been urged to make life harder for fire-raisers by removing rubbish from outside their premises.

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service chiefs are asking businesses and householders to take some simple precautionary steps to avoid becoming the victims of arson.

It is feared that skips, wheelie bins and bags of rubbish left close to buildings could become fuel for would-be fire setters.

Last year there were 10,676 fires in the open in West Yorkshire, which includes fires in fields and woods.

Of those, more than half – 5,661 – were started deliberately, and 6,191 involved the burning of rubbish.

The problem of skips and rubbish containers has been flagged up by firefighters who cover the Chickenley area of Dewsbury.

Last year there were 41 fires in the open in the Chickenley area, 20 of them deliberate.

Ossett fire station manager Steve Kain said: “I have noticed that many businesses tend to put skips and bins too close to their buildings, which could have devastating consequences if they are set on fire.

“When skips are full, they should be removed as soon as possible and not left on the premises where they can become the target of the arsonist.

“Wheelie bins should be kept away from properties and be removed from the pavement as soon as possible, when emptied by the council. It takes no time at all for flames from a wheelie bin to spread to a building."