Fire crew battle deliberate blazes started within just minutes of each other

County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service was first called out at 7.13pm yesterday, Sunday, May 9, after a commercial bin was found on fire in Eden Street in Horden.

Crews based at Peterlee Fire Station attended and used a hose reel to put out the blaze, leaving the scene at 7.33pm.

The second call was made at 7.45pm when firefighters answered a report of a small number of trees on fire off Yoden Way in the same village.

They were on the scene until just before 8.50pm.

An appliance from the same station was then sent to Bruce Crescent in Wingate at 8.19pm, after a report of a tree on fire, but arrived to find it had been a false alarm with good intent.

The incidents follow on from a series of other deliberate fires recently started across East Durham.

A service spokesperson said: “Peterlee green watch have been busy last evening dealing with suspected deliberate fires in the Horden and Wingate areas.

"These could of delayed us from attending more important incidents.

“We would like to urge anyone with any information in relation to deliberate fires to call Firestoppers.”

Anyone with information can call anonymously on 0800 169 5558 or report it online via https://forms.theiline.co.uk/firestoppers.

Numbers cannot be seen, calls are never recorded and the line or IP address is scrambled so it is impossible for any to redial or track.

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