Crews fight deliberate fires set on troubled Wigan street

The incidents, which both occurred on Sunday evening on Sandalwood Drive in Beech Hill, are just two in a string of deliberate fires to plague the area.

Currently awaiting regeneration, the majority of the street is now vacant and boarded up.

Fire crews are concerned that it is becoming a beacon for firebugs in the area, who are breaking into houses and setting deliberate fires.

On Sunday evening (November 4), firefighters were called to the area at around 7.50pm.

On arrival they discovered that a fire had been deliberately set inside one of the vacant properties.

Crews spent around an hour at the scene fighting the flames and securing the building.

Shortly after they had left the scene, firefighters were called to a second fire on Sandalwood Drive.

Arriving at around 8pm, crews discovered that a pile of rubbish had been set alight in the street.

"It's a problem area," said crew manager Mike Fairhurst. "It's a busy time of year as it is, We are keeping an eye on the area and reporting anything to the council.

"The houses are all boarded up and people are just using it as a dumping ground."