Three die every week in deliberate fires as England's arson danger zones exposed

Safety Group UK’s arson study, utilising data from the Home Office on incidents attended by Fire and Rescue Services across England. It reveals the regions most affected by deliberate fires, the rates of casualties and fatalities, and the most common incident types. Revealing that Greater Manchester has emerged as England’s 'arson capital' with a shocking 39 deliberate fires occurring every day.

Key Findings

• Three people die and 30 are injured weekly in arson attacks across England
• Greater Manchester is England's arson capital with 39 deliberate fires daily — highest in the country
• Northern England experiences significantly higher arson rates than other regions in England
• Greater London has highest fatality rate with 60 arson-related deaths in three years
• England experiences an average of 446 arson attacks every week
• 80% of England’s regions saw arson decline post-COVID, but human harm remains high

Greater Manchester: England’s Arson Capital

Greater Manchester topped the list with over 14,000 arson incidents recorded between 2022 and 2025, equaling 39 deliberate fires every day. This puts Manchester significantly ahead of other regions despite its comparatively smaller population, making it the area most heavily affected by arson in proportion to its size.

When examining the raw numbers, Greater Manchester experienced 6,974 deliberate fires in 2022/23, falling to 5,434 in 2023/24, before rising slightly to 5,871 in 2024/25. Despite the overall decrease from 2022 levels, Manchester continues to face a persistent arson problem that far exceeds other regions.

The North of England faces highest risk

The top five arson hotspots are all located in northern England, with West Yorkshire (38 daily fires), Tyne and Wear (35), South Yorkshire (31), and Cleveland (26) following Greater Manchester. This striking concentration of fire-setting in the North raises serious questions about regional disparities in fire risk.

The North-South divide becomes particularly apparent when comparing fire rates between regions. Northern fire authorities consistently recorded 2-3 times more deliberate fires than similar-sized southern regions, with nine of the top ten arson capitals located in the North of England or the Midlands.

Greater London faces highest death toll

While northern cities experienced the highest volume of fires, Greater London recorded the most devastating human impact. The capital saw 60 arson-related deaths between 2022 and 2025 — significantly higher than West Yorkshire (42) and Nottinghamshire (32).

London also reported a staggering 768 injuries from deliberate fires during this period, more than double any other region. The West Midlands followed with 399 casualties, while Greater Manchester recorded 337 injuries.

Greater London also faced the highest number of arson attacks specifically targeting homes, with 6,369 incidents — 46% more than second-placed Greater Manchester.

Top 5 Regions by Arson-Related Deaths

1. Greater London — 60 deaths
2. West Yorkshire — 42 deaths
3. Nottinghamshire — 32 deaths
4. West Midlands — 29 deaths
5. Greater Manchester — 27 deaths

Post-COVID decline offers hope

A comparison of pre and post-COVID data reveals a notable decline in both arson-related fatalities and casualties across most regions. Buckinghamshire saw a dramatic 75% drop in fire deaths, falling from 16 before the pandemic to just 4 afterward.

Similarly, Cambridgeshire reported a significant decrease in injuries, with casualties dropping from 70 to 18. Even historically high-risk areas like Avon showed improvement, with fatalities dropping from 23 pre-COVID to 15 in the years since.

Secondary fires most common type

The analysis revealed that secondary fires — including grass, bin, and outdoor blazes — were the most common type of deliberate fire across all regions, accounting for more than 70% of incidents in some areas.

Road vehicle fires and house fires followed as the next most frequent categories, while chimney fires were almost negligible. These patterns suggest that open public spaces and vehicles remain the primary targets for arsonists throughout England.

Calls for national strategy

The findings come amid growing concerns about the resources available to fire services nationwide. With budget constraints affecting response times and prevention activities in many areas, experts warn that without a coordinated national strategy, the improvements seen since the pandemic could be reversed.

Richard Hodgson, fire safety specialist at Safety Group UK, said: “The data shows how important it is for a business to have a competently written fire risk assessment to identify and mitigate fire safety risk as much as possible for their organisation.”

Methodology

Fire incident data was collated from https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fire-statistics-data-tables#deliberate-fires-attended on deliberate fires by all England fire authorities. Analysis includes total deliberate fires, incident types, fatalities and casualties. "Fires per day" calculations are based on the three-year average divided by 1,095 days.

*Fires for 2025 include half the year as published on the Government website and the second half is forecasted based on 2023/2024 rates of increase.