Firefighters issue warning after bin fires in Preston

The stark reminder comes after crews were called out to three wheelie bins set on fire in Samuel Street in the Fishwick area of the city.

Firefighters said the blazes all broke out at around the same time, at about 8.30pm on Sunday, with an engine from Preston station called to put them out.

Crew manager Rob Barker said attending “deliberately set” fires of this type meant one of the two fire engines from the station was tied up and unable to attend other, potentially serious, incidents.

He said: “Therefore, if we get a more serious house fire where somebody needs rescuing, we’ve only got one fire engine to attend.

“That’s very difficult and could cost somebody’s life at the end of the day.

“The act of setting fire to a bin itself can cause harm to whoever is doing it.

“And also fires like that, because they burn quite intensely, could spread to buildings and other properties.

“And arson is a crime.”

Crew manager Barker said the “youths”, who are thought to have started the fires, ran away from the scene when firefighters arrived.

He said the bins were in the street, and the fires were contained to the bins and did not spread to any buildings.

He said the area would now be monitored by Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, and added: “Anybody caught doing it will be prosecuted.”