Waterford Fire Service were called to one estate in the Gracedieu area eleven times across the space of a week.
That's according to Sinn Fein Councillor Jim Griffin, who raised the issue at this month's Metropolitan District meeting of Waterford City and County Council.
Cllr. Griffin told the meeting that there are people setting fires deliberately in the Bowefield estate in Gracedieu. He says that new residents have been left shocked by the behaviour.
"The Residents Association have spoken to our Fire Officer. He recommended that they clear the vacant site in the area from all the brush and the cover that has been allowed to accumulate up there over the last number of years - as a vacant site. My concern is that I know with Halloween coming up and these fires starting, the residents at the adjoining house to the vacant site sold up a fortnight ago. There's new people gone in there now and straight away - they said they didn't realise what they were buying into."
Cllr. Griffin says this hasn't always been a problem, and it has only begun to rear its head in recent years.
"Up in the Carrickpheirish area, since the beginning of Covid, we have had a substantial amount of fires. However, the issue is gone down to Bowefield now - which is literally only around the corner. In the last seven days, we've had ten brigade calls - and just this morning, I was up there looking at damage done yesterday. Another one was started less than half an hour after I left it, that's eleven fires in seven days."
