Published: Thursday, 21st February, 2008 09:30
Hoaxer makes train fire call
By Rachel Lamb
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EMERGENCY CALL; Firefighters outisde the station on Friday night.
Pic by: Anndra Dubhacan
a series of blazes started deliberately — and a hoax call about a fire on a train — have angered firefighters in the Burgh.
Emergency Services rushed to Helensburgh Central Station on Friday evening following claims of a blaze aboard a train.
Two fire engines and three police cars sped to the busy station only to find that the call was a hoax. But although the station was blaze free, a bin in the street outside had been deliberately set alight.
Fire crews quickly put out the flames but it was to be the start of a busy night for the emergency services as bins and piles of rubbish across the town were torched.
Danny Downie, Group Commander at Helensburgh Fire Station, condemned the culprits for wasting resources and putting lives at risk.
The first fire, in West Princes Street, took hold just after 8pm on Friday. Just 20 minutes later, firemen were called out to extinguish a second, more serious bin blaze, near the Bank of Scotland in Colquhoun Square.
Within half an hour, trouble makers struck again, this time setting fire to a bin shed in Nursery Street in Craigendoran.
Eye witness Edward Matheson said: “It was really bad. I’ve seen the state of the bin shed and it’s terrible. The whole lot went up in flames. You could see it burning from the County Lodge Hotel.
“It’s just a good job the council strikes are over because if the bins hadn’t been emptied that week there would have been a lot more damage. It’s just lucky that lives weren’t put in danger.”
Edward, who is a community representative for Craigendoran, added: “People are very concerned about the bins being set on fire. The bin shed is a state and they don’t know what might happen next. A lot of residents are up in arms because they don’t have any wheely bins left. The mess has been left there all weekend. ACHA haven’t even been out to see it yet.”
Firebugs also torched a pile of rubbish at Rhu Marina. This is the latest in a spate of incidents of willfull fireraising in the town.
Group Commander Downie said: “Hoax calls have the potential to take our resources away from more pressing engagements. It is very much a waste of resources and it is very foolish.
“People setting fire to bins has been an issue over the last couple of years. It’s a very dangerous thing for people to do. These people don’t look at the big picture. They may be doing it for a joke but a fire could spread to a close, trapping people inside. Their actions can put lives at risk. If anyone spots someone deliberately setting fire to something or acting suspiciously they should contact the police”
Police confirmed that a 24-year-old woman has been arrested in connection with three alleged counts of willfull fireraising and making a hoax call to the emergency services.
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