FIREFIGHTERS attended four incidents in the Comberton area of Kidderminster over the weekend, which appear to have been started deliberately inside wheelie bins.

All the incidents took place in the early hours of Sunday, June 28.

The last of the incidents, in the Tennyson Way area, spread along a line of bushes towards a house.

Rob Allen, station commander, said: “Thankfully this incident was prevented from being even more serious as the occupant was alerted to the fire in its early stages and fire crews were able to quickly extinguish the fire.

“The service will now work closely with our police colleagues to identify the person or persons starting these fires, while also providing support and advice to the local community in an attempt to reduce the incidences of such crimes in the future.”

The first incident they were called to, at around 1.34am, involved a small quantity of garden waste which was alight. One hose reel was used to extinguish the fire.

A crew from Kidderminster were then called to a second incident at 2.20am, which involved two seperate wheelie bins on fire. One hose reel was used and police also attended the scene.

At 3.15am, two crews from Kidderminster attended another incident, which involved two fires. The first involved the hedgerow and guttering of a bungalow, and the second involved conifers and fencing.

Hose reels, a triple extension ladder and thermal cameras were used to extinguish both fires.

Bob Sproat, station commander from Kidderminster Fire Station, said: “Thanks to the occupier of the property being alert to the potential danger and our crews being able to respond quickly to the incident, a potential tragedy has been avoided.

“Arson is an extremely serious crime and we are constantly working in partnership with local Safer Neighbourhood Teams to reduce the risk to members of the public.”

Police inspector Edd Williams, from Kidderminster’s Safer Neighbourhood team, added: “Crimes involving arson can very quickly turn into tragic events.

“With the current period of hot weather, fires can start very easily.

“The Safer Neighbourhood teams are committed to working to identify anybody involved in these types of crime. We will continue to work with Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service in ensuring this serious message is understood in our local communities.

“This latest incident could have resulted in a loss of life and major disruption for the local community.

“If anybody has any information regarding this latest incident, I would encourage you to report it either using the 101 telephone number or anonymously using Crimestoppers.”