PUBLIC services Minister Leighton Andrews has thanked fire crews in South Wales following the recent spate of grass fires.

During a visit to fire stations in Caerphilly and Tonypandy, the Minister said: “I would like to thank South Wales Fire and Rescue Service and individual firefighters, as well as the other fire and rescue authorities across Wales, for their response to these outbreaks. They worked tirelessly to control the widespread fires we saw destroying our environment over the Easter holidays and beyond.

“I am well aware of the concern felt by the wider communities affected by these crimes. Many people in these communities have provided support to firefighters by volunteering information on suspected perpetrators.

“The fire and rescue service shouldn’t have been put in this position. Firefighters have put their own lives at risk to deal with the criminal acts of others. These deliberate fires also prevented firefighters from responding to other incidents, which is unacceptable.

“The summit we held at the end of April with the fire and rescue service, the police and other agencies, agreed that tackling this menace in the future requires better prevention, more effective surveillance, tougher sanctions and better land management. Working with our partners and communities, we will build on the support we have seen and take these changes forward to ensure we do not experience another spike in these crimes as seen this year.”

Chief fire officer for South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Huw Jakeway, said: “It was a pleasure to welcome the Minister to both our Tonypandy and Caerphilly stations.

“Firefighters from these stations and across our stations have shown their dedication to protecting their communities with the recent spate of deliberately set grass fires and we will continue to work with partners and our communities to raise awareness, engage hearts and minds, hopefully changing a culture that it is risk-free fun, when in fact it is a crime.”