Rise in deliberate fires across Falkirk as safety campaign launches

There has been a dramatic rise in the number of deliberate fires across Falkirk and West Lothian.

Figures by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service show crews were called out to 4,287 incidents of deliberate fire-raising between March and April 2021.

364 of them were across Falkirk and West Lothian, compared to 188 the previous year.

That's a 86% increase.

A safety campaign has been launched in a bid to highlight the dangers of starting a fire deliberately.

Deputy Assistant Chief Officer Alasdair Perry, Head of Prevention and Protection for SFRS, said: "We take a zero-tolerance approach to deliberate fire-raising and it is a small minority of individuals who are potentially putting themselves, our firefighters and innocent bystanders at risk of serious harm and injury.

Alasdair Perry (SFRS)

"Make no mistake – fire can cause injury and death, it can be devastating to properties, businesses and the environment.

"Last year, we witnessed a shocking rise in deliberate fire-raising during the Spring period. The fact that our firefighters are called to thousands of deliberately set fires each year is completely unacceptable.

"These incidents are a needless drain on our resources and can impact on our response to genuine emergencies."

DACO Perry warned that the SFRS will continue to do everything in its power to help Police Scotland trace those risking the safety of communities across Scotland.

He added: "It absolutely goes without saying that we want to prevent fires – not fight fires.

"As a result, our firefighters work extremely hard to engage with the public and promote safety messages, and parents, guardians and carers can also help by making sure that children and young people are aware of the risks.

"But let me be very clear – we operate a strict zero tolerance approach to deliberate fire-raising. It is a criminal offence and can have devastating consequences.

"We will continue to work very closely with our police and local authority partners to provide evidence that will ensure those responsible are identified and held to account for their actions.”