Deliberate Fires on the Rise Across Fife

The number of deliberate fires set during spring-time in Fife more than doubled in 2019.

Newly released figures from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service show 243 fires were set across Stirling, Clackmannanshire and Fife.

In 2018, that figure was just 115.

It's also been revealed that firefighters were called to tackle over 60 deliberate blazes across Scotland every day during spring 2019. 

The total number of Scottish incidents was 3,658, up from 1,852 during the same period the year before. That's an increase of 97%.

Director of Prevention and Protection, Assistant Chief Officer Ross Haggart said: “We take a zero-tolerance approach to deliberate fire setting 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.

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

“Last year, witnessed a shocking rise in deliberate fire-raising during the Spring period.

“These incidents are a needless drain on our resources and can impact on our response to genuine emergencies – where lives might very well be at risk.

“The fact that our firefighters are called to thousands of deliberately set fires each year is completely unacceptable.”