Crews kept busy dealing with deliberate fires during school holidays

Fire crews in Fife were scrambled 17 times over the school holidays to tackle blazes started deliberately.

Figures obtained by The Courier show the alarming number of call-outs received by fire officers during the holidays, diverting crews from other potentially life-saving shouts.

The issue is a major source of concern for senior officer Iain Vincent, who said youngsters must be made aware of the potential consequences of their actions.

“During the school holidays we see an increase in fires in rubbish bins, grassland and wooded areas,” he said.

“The important issue is that young people should understand the danger of lighting fires. On many occasions, we have seen the results of a prank or game go tragically wrong and someone ends up seriously injured.”