Deliberate Fires, 2007

Fires

• The Welsh Fire and Rescue Services attended over 3,600 deliberate primary fires in 2007, a decrease of 51 per cent from the highest in the period in 2001.
• Between 2000 and 2007, 65 per cent of deliberate fires were in South Wales, 23 per cent in Mid and West Wales and 12 per cent were started in North Wales.
• Between 2000 and 2007 about 1 in 7 deliberate fires in Wales occurred in April.

Vehicles

• In 2007, there were 2,300 primary fires started deliberately in vehicles, a decrease of 56 per cent from the peak in 2003.

School fires

• In 2007, there were 29 deliberate fires in schools, all of which occurred outside of school hours.

Source and Hazardous Materials

• Furniture and furnishings was the material first ignited in 43 per cent of deliberate primary fires between 2000 and 2007.
• Of the dangerous substances in deliberate primary fires between 2000 and 2007, 33 per cent were petrol and 26 per cent were rigid plastic (excluding foam).

Casualties

• Between 2000 and 2007, there were 38 fatal casualties and 1,009 nonfatal casualties in deliberate fires.

Prevention

• Between 2000 and 2007, sprinklers were present 350 times before the Fire and Rescue Service arrived.

Contact

Tel: 029 2082 3371
E-mail: stats.inclusion@wales.gsi.gov.uk