The fire service has issued a warning that arson is ‘a serious criminal offence’
A town which has seen its public spaces blighted by arson has been targeted again. The fire service rushed to the scene of a “deliberate” bench fire at Parc y Werin in Gorseinon just before 10pm on Thursday, December 12.
The fire is the latest in a long line of such incidents which have blighted the local community, while the town’s Parc Melin Mynach has also been targeted in a campaign of anti-social behaviour in recent months. In October we reported how a storage container was set alight, with The Friends of Parc Melin Mynach stating £6,000 worth of “essential equipment” had been destroyed.
It followed the destruction of play equipment including a birds’ nest swing at the start of the same month, and the setting alight of two benches back in January. Never miss a Swansea story by signing up to our newsletter here.
Addressing the most recent event, a spokesman for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said: “At 9.47pm on Thursday, December 11, a crew from Gorseinon Fire Station was called to an incident at Parc y Werin in Gorseinon.
“The crew responded to a fire involving one park bench. One hose reel jet was used to extinguish the fire. The fire is believed to have been started deliberately. The crew left the scene at 10.06pm.”
A resident living in the area, who asked not to be named, said: “There was another fire last night in Parc y Werin, following several fires in Parc Melin Mynach in recent months. These are not isolated incidents but part of a growing pattern of deliberate fires being set in public spaces used daily by families, walkers, and children.
“Based on what is known locally from the incidents at Melin Mynach and the response that followed, there appears to have been no examination of the fire sites for evidence by the police. There’s no door-to-door inquiries, and no attempts to identify or request nearby CCTV or Ring doorbell footage.
“In at least one instance the police were not informed by the fire service that two fires had occurred on the same evening and only became aware via local youth workers.
“In each case materials were clearly brought to the site to fuel the fires, including wood, black bags, and cardboard recycling – suggesting preparation and movement of materials through residential areas.
“The response so far gives the impression that arson in public spaces is being treated as a low priority because it is not private property and, so far, no one has been injured. That is an extremely dangerous assumption. Repeated arson is escalatory by nature, and waiting until someone is hurt is not an acceptable threshold for action.
“The community is angry, frightened, and feels abandoned. People are asking what it will take for these incidents to be taken seriously. At present, there appears to be no meaningful help, reassurance, or accountability.”
The fire service issued a warning that arson is a serious criminal offence. It stated: “It can potentially cause large-scale damage and even loss of life.
“Incidents following arson-related activities can put immense pressure on the resources of fire and rescue services and other emergency services, as well as divert resources from other emergencies, potentially delaying response times for genuine accidents elsewhere.
“Preventing and tackling arson is a key priority for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service. Not only does this involve rapid response to incidents and subsequent fire investigations, but also close collaboration with the police, local authorities, communities and several other partner agencies to identify risks and educate the public.”
South Wales Police has been contacted for comment.
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