A BOY of 12 is caught on camera starting one of four blazes just a few hundred yards from homes — before being let off by police.
The yob was watched by laughing pals as he struck in a bone-dry nature reserve.
A boy of 12 is caught on camera starting one of four blazes Credit: Scott Townend
The yob struck in a bone-dry nature reserve Credit: Scott Townend
Firefighters raced to the scene to protect a housing estate, but the blaze still turned two hectares of grassland to ashes.
The dog walker who spotted the boy and raised the alarm blasted the police decision not to prosecute.
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Instead the firebug is likely to be dealt with by an out-of-court disposal order that could include a caution, community resolution — or no further action at all.
Scott Townend, 28, said: “It’s extremely difficult to understand given the seriousness of what unfolded.
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“This was not simply a case of a child making a minor mistake. He deliberately started multiple fires in dry grass within a public area.
“The location is surrounded by nature and wildlife, has a railway line nearby, and is also directly next to a new housing estate.
“The fact that the fire spread so rapidly demonstrated how easily the situation could have escalated and potentially put residents, wildlife and property at risk.”
Monday’s fire came amid back-to-back heatwaves and the driest July since records began 190 years ago.
The blazes were started just a few hundred yards from homes Credit: Ben Lack
A dog walker spotted the boy and raised the alarm Credit: Scott Townend
Half of England is already in drought, with parched conditions seeing firefighters in England and Wales responding to 208 wildfires between July 16 and 28 alone.
Engineer Scott told how he stumbled across the boy and two of his friends at Primrose Valley nature reserve in Leeds.
He told The Jattvibe: “One of them appeared to be crouching down and the other two were ahead of him walking off but looking back and laughing.
“As I got closer, it was clear the lad was starting fires in the dry grass.”
Scott grabbed hold of his dog as the flames took hold and immediately rang emergency services.
He said: “The boy then crouched down again and appeared to start another fire.
“At this point, I managed to take a photograph of him while he was doing it. Within around 20 seconds, the fire had spread considerably and had become a large fire.”
The lout scarpered after he realised he had been spotted, but left behind four separate fires burning out of control.
Scott said cops later identified him as a 12-year-old and were in contact with his family.
West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said it scrambled three fire crews.
West Yorkshire Police said: “A crime of arson has been recorded and investigated. Positive lines of inquiry are ongoing.”
But sources said the lad was unlikely to be prosecuted and would instead be given a stern talking to.
The National Fire Chiefs Council said the majority of grassland blazes were “avoidable” and often man-made.
Firefighters have responded to more than 700 in England and Wales this year — more than the total combined number recorded between 2021 and 2024.
Nearly 400 wildfires were tackled last month, making it the busiest July on record, including one at Dunwich in Suffolk that was as big as 210 football pitches.
NFCC boss Phil Garrigan said: “These fires can burn for days, often in remote locations, challenging terrain and extreme temperatures.
“They demand significant resources, tie up crews for prolonged periods and reduce opportunities for firefighters to rest and recover between incidents.”
Disposable barbecues have been blamed in some cases. Asda, Co-op and Tesco have stopped selling them and Sainsbury’s will join them next week.
The fires were started at Primrose Valley nature reserve in Leeds Credit: Scott Townend
Retailers including Wilko and The Range have also started removing them from stores and online.
Other chains like Aldi, Lidl, Waitrose and M&S have not sold disposable grills since 2022.
Labour MP Jon Pearce, who has called for an outright ban, said: “The big retailers are taking the lead, which is great. Now we need the others in behind them.
“Asking them to suspend sales this summer is to deal with the immediate problem — but we have to accept the fact that the climate has changed.
“Last summer was the worst on record for wildfires. This year will almost certainly surpass it.”
Temperature records have tumbled throughout the summer with four heatwaves so far.
Some parts of the country have gone without a single drop of rain since mid-June.
Nineteen counties recorded less than 1mm of rainfall across the whole of last month.
The UK as a whole experienced its third driest July, with 28.9mm of rain — the lowest figure since 1868.
Southern England also recorded its driest month ever and its warmest July on record.
The Met Office said the hot and dry conditions are expected to last for the rest of the month, with only the odd shower.
