A SPATE of maliciously-started fires in St Annes has prompted Fylde firefighters to warn that they can lead to deaths by taking crews away from more serious jobs.

A blaze at St Annes Conservative Club last week was the latest in a string of purposely-started fires in the area.

Thoughtless vandals had set fire to some rubbish being stored in a metal cage at the back of the club on Clifton Drive North at around 5.45pm last Wednesday (Oct 24) evening.

The blaze destroyed some of the plastic roofing of the cage, which also housed a telephone cable box.

Firefighters from St Annes fire station extinguished the fire, but were angered that another fire had taken them away from their essential and life-saving work.

Leading Firefighter Cairns, who attended the fire, said that the spate of malicious fires had been going on for around a month and that the police were also aware of the problem.

"There has been a lot of this recently in the St Annes area. They seem to be igniting rubbish outside people's houses and at bus stops," he said.

"We have to send out one and sometimes two pumps to the fire. This takes us away from another job.

"Sometimes it means I have to call a pump from South Shore, Blackpool or even Bispham.

"This can delay the turn out to a more serious incident and people can be killed. I don't think they realise what problems these fires -- and hoax calls -- cause for the fire service."