Dangers of starting a fire deliberately
Date published:
Putting lives at risk
When someone starts a fire deliberately, they are:
- putting their local community and wildlife at risk
- putting firefighters’ lives at risk
These fires can easily spread. Even a slight change in wind direction can pose a serious risk to life, property and the environment.
Fighting these fires also means that firefighters are taken away from other duties and are unable to respond if another emergency call comes in.
Also, act responsibly and don't make hoax calls and never attack firefighters.
Wildfires
Wildfires can be a serious problem.
It’s not just the larger fires on hillsides and mountains that can be a problem.
Smaller fires involving grass and bushes also need to be dealt with quickly as they have the potential to spread and develop into bigger fires.
Fires are started both deliberately and accidentally. They can be caused unintentionally by thoughtless and careless behaviour.
You should:
- put out cigarettes and other smoking materials properly
- never throw cigarette ends on the ground or out of car windows
- avoid using open fires in the countryside
- only use barbecues in designated and safe areas
- never leave a barbecue unattended
- keep children and ball games away from barbecues
- make sure that barbecues are fully extinguished and cold before disposing of their contents
- never leave bottles or glass in woodland or grassland, as sunlight shining through glass can start a fire - take them home or put them in a waste or recycling bin
- keep children away from lighters, matches and open fires
- report any fire in the countryside immediately to the NI Fire and Rescue Service
- not try to tackle fires that can’t be put out with one bucket of water
- leave the area as quickly as possible if you see a fire
- report any suspicious behaviour to the police
Controlled burning by land managers also brings the potential risk of starting a wildfire.