Dealing with two major incidents has hit resources, the chair of West Yorkshire’s Fire Authority said.

Clr Judith Hughes says the brigade has received no extra funding despite firefighters having to attend at least 10 fires at Kirklees College this year and having to commit crews to the Hunters fire for weeks over summer.

Clr Hughes, an Almondbury ward councillor, said: “We’ve had a lot more pressure from the two sites but there hasn’t been any extra funding.

“But the service will always turn out and help where we can, firefighters will always go where they’re needed.

“I am confident that good progress has been made on the Hunters site and hopefully it won’t impact on our resources further.

“And I know Kirklees College are doing everything they can to make the site secure, and we’re meeting them again soon.

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“The sooner the building is demolished the better, but we know they can’t demolish the older part so there’s still work to do.”

Much of the Hunters site has been cleared but fire crews were having to visit it daily - often several times a day - during the summer.

The abandoned Lockwood site went up in flames on August 17, burning for days before being brought under control.

Ten weeks after the blaze, fire crews were still working in co-operation with Kirklees Council and the Environment Agency to excavate the site and make it safe for the community.

The old Kirklees College building has seen 10 incidents so far this year, with arsonists breaking into the New North Road college and starting fires.

Clr Hughes has previously said she fears someone will get seriously injured, with concerns not only for firefighters but the people breaking in.

She says there needs to be a county-wide look at empty buildings: “There are more empty buildings because of austerity cuts and we’ve had more fires in empty buildings.”