A SPATE of fires in the open across North Yorkshire are believed to have been started deliberately.

The fires all happened yesterday evening within a few of hours of each other.

Crews tackled a blaze on a railway embankment in South Milford, west of Selby.

They were called to the fire at about 7.20pm, and when crews arrived, 60 square metres of bark mulch was alight.

The blaze did not cause any delays to trains but did take a while to bring under control.

Firefighters were also called to Kingsley Drive in Harrogate at about 6.20pm and put out a fire involving approximately 1,500 square metres of stubble and three bales.

Firefighters also dealt with a fire to about 10 tyres within a derelict barn in Ouse Bank, Selby.

Crews were called to the fire at 7.30pm.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "The tyres were destroyed by the fire and the barn suffered fire damage to the roof."

A fire to a boundary fence and a fir tree in Elmpark Way, Heworth, York, was also extinguished by firefighters yesterday evening.

Firefighters were sent to the scene shortly after 8.30pm.

The spokesman said that all the fires are believed to have been "caused deliberately."

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service group manager Stuart Simpson added: “Although we don’t know who caused the fires, with the school holidays approaching we would urge parents to speak to their children about the dangers of playing with fire and remind them that arson is a crime.

"Small fires can quickly get out of hand and spread to other buildings. Whilst we are attending deliberate fires fire engines are not available to attend other incidents."

He says if any parents are concerned about the fire setting behaviour of their children they can make a referral to the fire service, The details of how to do this are on its website - http://www.northyorksfire.gov.uk/communitysafety/young-people/playing-with-fire.

"We regularly undertake prevention work with young people, such as providing school talks, to warn of the dangers of arson and hoax calls," Mr Simpson said.