Third fire at Mountblow
Published 3 Aug 2012 10:00
FIRE-raising menaces have struck for the THIRD time in three weeks in Mountblow leaving terrified families in "danger."
Clydebank firefighters were scrambled to Salisbury Place on Sunday evening (July 29) at 9pm after worried householders living in the scheme contacted emergency services.
Two appliances and 10 fire service workers fought the blaze for more than two hours before it was brought under control.
But mercy crews are condemning the fire-bug vandals for putting lives at risk as neighbouring properties still have families living in them.
Bosses added deliberate fire raising is wasting vital community resources. Brian Wardle, watch commander at Clydebank fire station told the Post: "We arrived at the incident at 9pm on Sunday evening. There are still people living in the houses nearby and that's always a concern.
"It a dangerous derelict building which contains asbestos and that makes it more dangerous for us to put out.
"We are urging people to stay away from the building."
Most houses in the Mountblow area lie vacant. But with families still living in houses adjacent to derelict properties, the area has become a major concern for the authorities.
Emergency crews have been called out TWENTY times over the last 18 months.
Watch Commander Wardle added: "These fires are using up vital resources in Clydebank.
"If there was a house fire somewhere in the area then we would have had to call on fire appliances from other areas which would have taken longer.
"Deliberately starting fires in derelict buildings puts the whole community in danger because it ties up resources on something that could have been avoided."
West Dunbartonshire Council revealed that there are plans to find alternative accommodation for those living in the area and are looking to raze the properties to the ground.
A spokesperson for Clydebank Police previously told the Post: "These people are putting their own lives as well as others at risk.
"We can only ask them to think carefully about what they are doing."
Anyone with information about the fire-raising incidents at Salisbury Place is urged to contact Clydebank Police on 0141 532 3300 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
This article appeared in Clydebank Post 01 Aug 12
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