Courtesy Barrhead News

THE town's fire chief has urged residents - especially school kids - to consider the consequences of setting grass and rubbish fires this summer.

Barrhead Fire Station manager, Ian McMeekin is asking people to stop and think seriously about how unnecessary fires can be a strain on the service.

Blaze statistics from the last three years indicate that fire fighters from Barrhead Community Fire Station will attend around 100 grass and rubbish fires between April and August.

The majority of these incidents will occur over the school summer holidays in the months of June and July within the Barrhead, Neilston and Uplawmoor areas.

Already this year firebugs have torched several landmarks in the town, including Shanks industrial estate and the old Nestle Perina site.

Ian said: "We are asking people who deliberately set these types of fires to stop and think about the consequences of their actions.

"Most of these fires are rubbish fires that have been deliberately started, and whilst they might be classed as 'minor', they can have a major impact on the feelings of safety for residents.

"These deliberate acts also continue to be a huge drain on Fire and Rescue Service resources.

"A firefighter's role is to provide help to the community especially when it is needed the most, however, firefighters tackling these types of fires may be delayed in attending a genuine emergency, as we cannot be in two places at the same time.

"For every call we receive there could be a person desperately in need of our assistance elsewhere."

Setting fires is a criminal offence, so Ian and his team are actively working alongside partner agencies within the East Renfrewshire area to combat deliberate incidents.

Any individual or group responsible for setting a grass fire intentionally, or any other incident of wilful fire raising may face criminal charges. Anyone with information on such crimes is advised to contact Barrhead police office on 0141 532 6200 or anonymously call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.