Deliberate fires: April 2021 to March 2022

The analysis in this bulletin relates to fire incidents between April 2021 and end March 2022. Comparisons are made with April 2020 to March 2021, a period largely affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, when there were public health restrictions. Whilst restrictions were eased during 2021-22 there were some periods during the year when restrictions remained in place and patterns of behaviour may not have returned to those occurring prior to the pandemic.

Fires

• The Welsh Fire and Rescue Services attended a total of 6,122 deliberate fires in 2021-22. This is an increase of 4% compared with the previous year and is around a quarter of the number in 2001-02.
• Around a fifth of deliberate fires in 2021-22 were primary fires.
• In 2021-22, 65% of deliberate fires were in South Wales, over a quarter in Mid and West Wales, and almost a tenth were in North Wales.

Vehicles

• In 2021-22, there were 499 primary fires started deliberately in vehicles, a decrease of 6% compared with the previous year.

School fires

• In 2021-22, there were 5 deliberate fires in schools, equating to a quarter of all fires in schools.

Source and hazardous materials

• Over the last 5 years, a naked flame was the source of ignition in 31% of deliberate primary fires.
• Of the dangerous substances in deliberate primary fires in total in 2017-18 to 2021-22, 82% were flammable liquids.

Casualties

• In 2021-22, there were 2 fatalities and 42 non-fatal casualties in deliberate fires.