Back Fire
History
The Rifle Range and Devils Spittleful Site of Special Scientific
Interest, together with Burlish Top Local Nature Reserve, have been
recognised nationally for being important areas of rare lowland
heath habitat.
Over the past 5 years, large-scale practical conservation works
have been carried out on these reserves in order to conserve the
rare and threatened wildlife they support.
Unfortunately the efforts have frequently been frustrated by
deliberately started fires that have damaged and destroyed the
wildlife.
In 2003 a series of several dozen fires damaged some 65% of these
nature reserves over the three-week period of a particularly dry
school Easter holiday.
During 1999, a single fire required the services of 59 fire
fighters to prevent the blaze from engulfing the adjoining housing.
This level of arson by any standard is unacceptable.
Wyre Forest District Council and the Hereford and Worcestershire
Fire Service joined forces to try and tackle this issue. In
addition to enforcement action, education was seen as the best
route to try to tackle the problem.
From this was born the concept of the Backfire project.
From anecdotal and inconclusive visual evidence it was seen that
young children aged between 9 and 14 were the most likely culprits
of the arson.
Birchen Coppice Middle School both overlooks the nature reserves
and has a catchment area that takes in the areas of social
exclusion (the Oldington and Foley Park Ward) that is directly
adjacent to these reserves.
Aims
To create an education project with a group of children selected by
the teachers of Birchen Coppice Middle School that highlights the
value of their local nature reserves and the dangers of fire
lighting.
The project will use the exciting medium of film production to
engage the children's interest to learn about the damage and danger
of fire lighting.
To provide an education to a group of children about the process of
film production.
To create a short educational film that utilises local children to
be used as an educational tool to inform their peer groups, younger
generations, families and children from other schools about the
perils of fire lighting.
Outcomes
Children involved with the project have had positive interactions
with the Ranger staff when they have been encountered over on the
nature reserves during the school summer holidays.
Figures supplied by the Hereford and Worcestershire Fire Service
for the 6 month period including the backfire project and the
school summer holidays, show a 22% reduction in fires on the heath
land reserves over this period.
Fires attended by the Fire Service on the reserves between end
March 2004 and end August 2004 = 91
Fires attended by the Fire Service on the reserves between end
March 2005 and end August 2005 = 71
The Future
It is proposed the Backfire film will be shown to all year 10
pupils in the Wyre Forest District during 2006 and beyond by the
Fire service as part of their fire prevention talks.
The film to be used by both the Fire Service and the Wyre Forest
District Council Ranger Service to educate against fire lighting
within all age ranges in Birchen Coppice Middle School during the
spring term of 2006.
Availability
If you are an organisation who wishes to use Backfire as an
educational tool and would like a copy of the DVD, please contact
our Arts and Play Development Officer on 01562 732928 or email
Customer
Services.
View the
Backfire
Project Poster 
(87 K)