Norfolk firefighters were called to tackle a big rise in the number of deliberately-started blazes last year, new figures have revealed.
A former leisure centre, football ground, playground and farm buildings were among the properties torched in arson attacks, while fire service investigations found dozens of home and vehicle fires were also deliberate.
Home Office data shows arson was the cause of 825 fires, more than a third of the 2,156 dealt with by Norfolk Fire and Rescue in 2022.
That was 25pc higher than the 654 deliberate fires in the previous 12 months, bucking a decade-long downward trend.
READ MORE: Man charged with arson following blaze at Norwich flats
Among the fires were ones at the former Oasis Sports and Leisure Club in Thorpe St Andrew on the edge of Norwich which went up in flames in April 2022.
Other buildings to have been hit include a block of flats in Dereham, farm buildings near Taverham, while a man was charged with arson following a blaze at flats at Foulgers Opening in Norwich.
Norfolk Fire and Rescue said arson was a crime and should be reported to the police and could have tragic consequences.
Anthony Collins, 42, was jailed for more than six years in June 2022 after deliberately setting fire to Christmas decorations at property in Gayton, Ling’s Lynn, forcing another man to jump to safety from an upper story window.
There have been 14 fatalities due to arson in Norfolk over the past decade.
Deliberate fires led to 10 casualties in 2022, the latest figures show. Eight people required hospital treatment with three having injuries, including burns and smoke inhalation, classified as severe.
Emyr Wyn Gough, head of prevention and protection at Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service said much of the increase was concentrated in a three month period last summer when crews tackled 674 outdoor fires amid soaring temperatures.
“This increase is likely to be related to the warm weather with more people out and about, which could lead to more deliberate fires,” he said.
READ MORE: Two arrested for arson after fire caused by disposable BBQ at country park
Fewer arsons during Covid lockdown and better recording and reporting were also factors behind the rise, he added.
In total there were 38 arsons at dwellings, 54 in other buildings, 101 outdoors and 31 involving vehicles.
Fire crews were also called to 601 deliberately started secondary fires, which are small outdoor fires not involving people or property.
HOW TO AVOID STARTING FIRES THIS SUMMER
- Don’t drop cigarettes or any burning item onto dry ground
- Don’t use barbecues in fields, open grassland, parks, and forests
- Make sure embers are fully extinguished and cold, then dispose of them safely
- Avoid driving on or leaving your engine running on long dry grass and fields
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here