Arson Reduction

Member of staff talking to young people about the dangers of arson

Deliberate ignition is the largest single cause of fires in the country and accounts for approximately 76% of all fires attended within West Yorkshire. Addressing the problem of arson and deliberate fire setting is a priority for the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and consequently an Arson Task Force (ATF) has been established in each local authority area.

Arson Task Forces have developed strategies based on:

  • Education
  • Environment
  • Enforcement

In order to implement these strategies, effective partnerships have been developed by the ATF with many key agencies including the Police, Anti- social Behaviour Units, Housing and other Local Authority departments. In addition to their extensive knowledge base, many of these partnerships provide the necessary legislative powers to enable the ATF to deal with the issues that contribute to deliberate fires e.g. the securing of empty properties, removal of fly tipping and the addressing the issues of anti social behaviour.

Deliberate fires affect communities by adversely impacting on the reputation and image of the area. Many of those committing arson and anti-social behaviour related fires are well known to residents. We need as much information as possible about those starting deliberate fires in the community, the more information we have the better equipped we are to take positive action against those responsible.

Information can be passed anonymously by contacting Crimestoppers on:

Tel: 0800 555 111

 

Policy and procedure documents

Arson Reduction Policy

Arson Reduction Strategy

Hot Strike Policy

 

What you can do to prevent arson

Basic steps you can take to help protect your property are;

  • Minimise the amount of combustible material that is left in and around buildings.
  • Ensure your property is secure with adequate locks on doors and windows and the provision of security lighting.
  • Carry out a fire risk assessment, fit smoke alarms and plan an effective escape route.
  • Park vehicles in a well lit place, fit an anti-theft device and don't leave valuables on show.

Protecting your home

Whilst less likely to be as a result of an opportunistic attack, domestic arson is often linked to other crimes such as burglary, domestic violence or hate-related crimes.

It is preferable to prevent a fire in the first place and preventing arson in the home is closely linked with preventing intruders gaining access - ensure all windows and doors are locked at night and when the house is empty. If there have been arson attacks in the local area, you might want to consider installing an arson-proof letterbox.

The link below will provide more details about improving security;

Secured By Design (Opens in a new window) (Police Security Advice)