The World is Burning…

…at least, here in South Wales, UK, it feels like it. So many fires starting on mountain tops and in woodlands, on farms and in fields. In streets and communities. Some caused by carelessness, some perhaps by accident but sadly, it appears that many are started deliberately.

But what is the psychology behind genuine arson? The average person doesn’t just go out and start a fire that burns down 26 football pitch areas of farmland, do they? What’s at play, there?

The amount of strain this puts on the Fire Service is unimaginable. For days on end now, they have been fighting fires in hard to reach areas. They must be exhausted. The distress and fear this causes local communities is unimaginable. An entire row of houses burned to the ground, those poor souls have lost everything. The community is rallying, as it always does, but the blow of that must be breathtakingly harsh. At least no one died, but who knows, next time they might. My sister lost most of her house due to a fire just last year. Her next door neighbours’ house was burned to the ground. I know only a little of the stress she and my brother-in-law went through, but at least they have their home now. These houses just yesterday are gone. How sad. How frightening. How utterly needless.

An old, disused and rather grand little building, formerly a bank, was ablaze on my high street just the other day. Arson? I don’t know.

I had to alert neighbours to a fire in their garden they had no idea was burning. If I had not happened to wander into my garden, no one might have known until it had spread beyond control.

A fire engine came racing up my street the wrong way earlier, to get to a fire on the beacons, just a few streets away.

Three local teenagers were caught on camera starting a fire by woodland.

A man was caught fly-tipping and setting it alight, his registration and the photo handed to police. He had done the hard part, loading the rubbish into his car. Why not just take it to the tip?

For the last two weeks or so, up until two days past, the smell of smoke was so strong that all the windows had to remain closed. It kept me awake one night, the stench of it. I know others endured far worse.

Why are all these fires being started? And why now, when this part of the world is going through at least its’ third heatwave of the year?

I have nothing but respect and admiration for the Fire Service and for all the emergency services in general. But after this, I am sure that things will be put in place to prevent this happening to this extent in future. At least, I hope so, but it’s always the same old story - money.

Wherever you are, stay safe, look after each other.

S P

The image shows some of the aftermath of the fire in the Midland Bank building, Tredegar. I was saddened to see all the books on the shelves, some burned, all covered in soot. No one was hurt, thankfully. I am sure in time we will find out what happened there.