A new project to reduce the number of deliberate grass fires in the Bargoed area has been launched.
Called ‘Bernie’, the six-week campaign by Caerphilly County Borough Council, Gwent Police and South Wales Fire will target youngsters through education and a variety of activities.
These include youngsters having the chance to be a firefighter for the day as well as courses in bushcraft survival.
During 2010, there were 209 reported deliberate grass fires in and around the Bargoed area during Easter – the traditional period when the number of grass fires started is at its highest.
As part of project ‘Bernie’, the Safer Caerphilly Community Safety Partnership will be setting up high visibility patrols of areas that have been hit in the past with fire.
Gwent Police Superintendant Jon Burley, who is chair of the partnership, said: “Project Bernie is an excellent initiative, based on the principles of education, diversion and enforcement. We are hopeful that by heavily involving the local community in this initiative, together with the vast amount of activity planned throughout the duration of the project, we will see a marked reduction in the number of deliberately set grass fires in the Bargoed area.”