'40 fires in one month' on Eston Hills as plea issued to parents

FIREFIGHTERS are having to deal with as many as 40 fires - the majority deliberately set on Eston Hills in one month, a councillor says.

- By STUART ARNOLD

Councillor David Taylor said the cost of the 40 incidents covering one month between June and July to Cleveland Fire Brigade had been as much as £250,000 with hundreds of firefighter hours spent tackling blazes often in difficult conditions and on steep terrain. Cllr Taylor, who is a member of the Cleveland Fire Authority and the local community safety partnership, said: "That's time and money that would be far better spent elsewhere and dealing with serious incidents."

The brigade was unable to immediately confirm Cllr Taylor's figures, understood to have been shared by an official, but has now issued a warning with the start of the school summer holidays likely to see an increase in activity on the hills, both legitimate and nefarious.

The organisation in a strongly worded statement issued to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said deliberate fires were not only "dangerous, but deeply disheartening". It also suggested parents and carers should speak with children about the serious consequences of setting fires.

The statement said: "With the summer holidays underway and more people heading outdoors, deliberate fires, particularly in areas such as Eston Hills, remain a real concern.

"These fires put lives at risk, destroy local wildlife habitats, and damage a much-loved space used by families, walkers, and the wider community.