Wilmslow firefighters believe that three recent hay fires in a field off Styal Road have been started deliberately.
On the evening of Friday 10th March hay had been set on fire in a livestock feeder. Firefighters were called back to a second fire on Saturday, 25th March, where at least a tonne of hay had been set alight, and again on Monday, 27th March when three large hay bales had been ignited. There were at least 10 horses in the field during this last incident.
The firefighters are extremely concerned about the associated dangers that arson attacks bring. Not only is there a danger to the actual fire setters, but their actions can endanger the lives of fire crews.
Wilmslow Watch Manager Kevin Grace explained: "With incidents like these it is only a matter of time before someone sustains serious injury or, worse, is killed. We work very closely with the police and other partner agencies to tackle this ongoing issue of deliberate fires, and this will continue, but we also need residents to be aware and help us where they can.
"The crime of arson is extremely dangerous. Fire spreads quickly so what may seem like a small fire can easily become out of control. Not only do these fires put the lives of firefighters at risk, they also cause considerable danger to the public because responding to incidents of arson could delay firefighters in getting to a real emergency. "
Investigating Officer PC Jade Bannerman from Cheshire Police said: "Arson is a serious crime which can have devastating consequences on innocent members of the public.
"I urge anyone with any information in relation to these incidents to contact the team here at Macclesfield on 101."
As Wilmslow firefighters were tackling the hay bales on fire on Monday, 27th March, there was a car fire on Altrincham Road which had to be dealt with by Poynton firefighters. The front brakes of the car were on fire and the crew used a hose reel jet to cool the brakes down and a thermal imaging camera to make sure the affected area was fully cooled.
Fortunately there were no more emergency calls in the town at the same time as fire and rescue cover in the surrounding areas would have been stretched.
Kevin continued: "What arsonists don't realise is that it could be their friends of family members who are in need of rescue in an emergency. I would encourage residents to always report any suspicious activity to the police or anonymously to Crimestoppers."
Anyone with any information about these incidents is asked to call Cheshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
