Statistics, Document
Deliberate fires: April 2023 to March 2024 (headline results)
Information on type of fire, casualties, damage and source for April 2023 to March 2024.
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In this page
Introduction
The analysis in this bulletin relates to fire incidents between April 2023 and end March 2024. Comparisons are made with April 2022 to March 2023.
Main points
Fires
- The Welsh Fire and Rescue Services attended a total of 5,379 deliberate fires in 2023-24. This is a decrease of 14% compared with the previous year and is around a fifth of the number in 2001-02.
- Around a fifth of deliberate fires in 2023-24 were primary fires.
- In 2023-24, 70% of deliberate fires were in South Wales, over a fifth in Mid and West Wales, and almost a tenth were in North Wales.
Vehicles
- In 2023-24, there were 473 primary fires started deliberately in vehicles, an increase of 11% compared with the previous year.
School fires
- In 2023-24, there were 2 deliberate fires in schools, equating to 13% of all fires in schools.
Source and hazardous materials
- Over the last 5 years, a naked flame was the source of ignition in 29% of deliberate primary fires.
- Of the dangerous substances in deliberate primary fires in total in 2019-20 to 2023-24, 86% were flammable liquids.
Casualties
- In 2023-24, there were 4 fatalities and 50 non-fatal casualties in deliberate fires.
