FIREFIGHTERS say youths are putting people’s lives at risk after a deliberate blaze in Port Glasgow.

The warning was issued today after a group of youngsters lit a late night grass fire in Pladda Fields on Monday, pictured.

One fire crew from Port Glasgow rushed to the scene and managed to extinguish the blaze.

Nobody was injured but crew manager Joanne Cooper said: “When we attend these smaller deliberate fires, it ties up the appliance at a time when there could potentially be a larger fire with a person, possibly a child, in danger.

“Another pump would have to come from another station, that’s where the danger lies.

“These grass fires also put us in danger because we are having to negotiate uneven ground and darkness, so it’s really dangerous.”

Crew manager Cooper says the fire service is working closely with Inverclyde Council community wardens to educate youngsters about the dangers of starting blazes.

She added: “The community wardens have been doing a great job going into schools and trying to educate and explain the dangers of setting fires.

“We are proactively working in partnership with them to get that message across.”