An area around Bootham has already been plagued by one fire-raiser who is suspected of causing 28 blazes, including one which spread to a gas pipe leading to hundreds of people being evacuated from their homes.
Now firefighters suspect that someone else is setting fires to hedges and trees in the Shipton Road area of York. There are fears, as with the Bootham fires, one could spread to homes and lead to someone being injured or even killed.
York Fire Station manager Alan Bell said: “We know it can happen. Whether it’s a group of kids larking about or somebody with a more sinister agenda, whoever is doing this presents a serious risk to the community.
“Some people might consider these just nuisance fires, but the reality is that every fire presents a very serious risk, not least because it can spread to a property and it diverts resources from more serious incidents.”
The first fire was started at 10am in Oakdale Road when a hedge was set alight. Since then all the fires have been at night. They have all involved hedges or trees been set on fire except one in Shipton Road on October 15 when a shed was set alight.
On October 12, three fires were started in less than 15 minutes. Firefighters were called to the first at 8.44pm in Surrey Way, then at 8.56pm in Malton Way, then one minute later in Shipton Road.
Three fires were also reported on Halloween, the first in Burdyke Avenue at 5.15pm, then The Fairway in Rawcliffe at 5.24 and finally in Shipton Road at 21.15.
This last fire actually spread to a telegraph pole, cutting the phone off to four houses.
Mr Bell said with these one could imagine the route the arsonist was taking.
The last recorded incident was at 2.31am in the early hours of Sunday when a hedge was set on fire in The Fairway.
A spokeswoman for York police said the fires have been reported and officers are now investigating.
She said the Shipton Road fires were not being linked with those in Bootham.
• A 26-year-old York man arrested in connection with the Bootham fires remains on police bail.
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