Firefighters tackle leylandii blazes
8:40am Sunday 20th July 2008
FIREFIGHTERS in Kidderminster believe two separate burning leylandii incidents they had to deal with in the town in the early hours of this morning were linked and started deliberately.
One tender was called to the first incident, in Chester Road North, at about 2am.
As the tender was returning to Kidderminster Fire Station after dealing with that, it had to turn round to go to The Oaklands, off Birmingham Road, to tackle a blazing 50ft leylandii on fire.
The second incident, at around 2.25am, was about half a mile from the first.
Watch manager, Mick Rowlands, said it was believed both fires were started deliberately, possibly by people on their way home from a pub, adding: "Hedges and trees don't set fire to themselves."