DELIBERATE fires continue to waste valuable resources and put lives in danger, with over 4,000 deliberate incidents taking place in Cheshire since 2019.

Figures obtained by Public Interest Lawyers found that Cheshire Fire & Rescue Service has attended 41,397 primary and secondary fires over the past five years, with 10 percent of these being deliberate fires.

The highest number of deliberate fires was recorded in throughout 2022/23 with 1092 deliberate incidents attended. During 2023/24 period this number has dropped to 822.

Primary fires are potentially more serious fires that cause harm to people or damage to property. 

Secondary fires are generally small outdoor fires, not involving people or property and these include refuse fires, grassland fires and fires in derelict buildings or vehicles.

From 2019 to 2020, Cheshire Fire & Rescue Service attended 8,139 primary and secondary fires, which was the second-lowest number of fires over the past five years.

A year later, this number decreased to 7,974, caused by a year of restrictions and lockdowns during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the past year, the service has experienced a rise in primary and secondary fires, with the total standing at 8,407 in 2023/24.

Fire Rescue Services (FRSs) attended 600,324 incidents in the year ending March 2024, a decrease of 3.6 percent compared with the previous year (622,659). 

Of these incidents, there were 138,977 fires, which was a decrease of 22% compared with the previous year (178,867).

Despite this positive drop in fires across the UK, a worrying percentage of these incidents are deliberate fires, which can lead to injuries and fatalities.

Deliberately set fires are dangerous and are a criminal offence. They waste time, money and keep fire crews away from real emergencies. 

These deliberately set fires commonly include bins, skips, fly-tipped waste, derelict buildings, dry grass and heathland.

Public Interest Lawyers also obtained figures on the number of injuries caused by deliberate fires across the UK. 

There have been 58 deliberate fire injuries recorded by Cheshire Fire & Rescue Service since 2019, with the highest annual total coming in 2019/20 and 2021/22, standing at 15.

Whilst the impact of lockdowns in 2021 will have depressed the number of deliberate cases, the figures show that not only is arson the leading single cause of the fire but highlight the extent to which the increasing threat of arson must be taken seriously.

Public Interest Lawyers offers free advice and support to those who have suffered burn injuries. They operate a 24-hour helpline and claim online form.