Deliberate fires damage homes, businesses and outdoor spaces, and can put people at risk. Fire and rescue records provide one measure of this problem; police records of arson offences provide another. This guide sets out the latest England incident figures, explains how they differ from crime statistics and considers what workplaces can do to reduce risk.
Updated 15 October 2026. Main incident figures cover England, 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026. Police FOI research and the economic-cost estimate are historical and are labelled separately.
Key facts and figures
- 71,520 deliberate fires were attended by fire and rescue services in England in 2025/26.
- 15.7% was the increase in deliberate fires in England between 2024/25 and 2025/26.
- 15,858 deliberate primary fires were attended in England in 2025/26.
- 55,647 deliberate secondary fires were attended in England in 2025/26.
- 3,726 deliberate fires occurred in other buildings in England in 2025/26.
- 2,385 deliberate dwelling fires were attended in England in 2025/26.
The scale of arson in the UK
Fire and rescue services in England attended 71,520 deliberate fires in 2025/26, up from 61,824 in 2024/25. The total included 15,858 primary fires, 55,647 secondary fires and 15 chimney fires.
A deliberate fire is one considered to have been started intentionally. This classification is not the same as a recorded arson offence, a charge or a conviction. Primary fires generally involve buildings, vehicles, casualties or larger responses; secondary fires are generally smaller outdoor incidents.
Arson investigations and charging outcomes
Historical FOI research published by Legal Expert in May 2025 reported 65,053 recorded arson offences across 36 responding UK police forces for January 2022 to December 2024. This was a sample of force returns, rather than a complete national series. The analysis reported a 4.83% charge figure, while its 16% arrest figure drew on 21 responding forces. Those different response groups should not be treated as one cohort.
A recorded offence, an identified suspect, a charge and a conviction are different stages of an investigation. Published snapshots can also include cases still in progress. They should not be used to infer a final conviction rate or the outcome of every recorded fire.
Who sets fires: interpreting suspect data
The same historical research received demographic information from 30 forces. It reported that around 80% of identified suspects were male and 34% fell within the youngest age bands used by the responding forces, usually under 18. Different age bands and incomplete force coverage limit comparison; these are suspect figures, not a profile of everyone convicted of arson.
For prevention, focus on observable risks: access to combustible materials, unsecured buildings, repeated fire-setting concerns and opportunities for early intervention. Individual risk should not be inferred from demographic statistics alone.
The cost of arson
The Home Office estimated £927 million in direct marginal economic and social costs from deliberate primary fires in England in 2019/20, at 2019/20 prices. This historical measure concerns costs arising from those fires; it is not a current UK annual arson total or an estimate covering every deliberate outdoor fire.
For businesses, damage can extend to stock, equipment, premises and interrupted trading. Insurance, continuity plans and recovery arrangements should reflect the particular premises and operations, alongside measures to prevent deliberate ignition.
| Deliberate fires (England, 2025/26) | Incidents |
|---|---|
| All deliberate fires | 71,520 |
| Primary fires | 15,858 |
| Primary fires: dwellings | 2,385 |
| Primary fires: other buildings | 3,726 |
| Primary fires: road vehicles | 7,183 |
| Primary fires: other outdoors | 2,564 |
| Secondary fires | 55,647 |
| Chimney fires | 15 |
Arson prevention
Reducing opportunities for deliberate ignition should form part of a workplace fire risk assessment. Practical measures include securing access, removing combustible waste, keeping skips away from external walls, managing flammable materials and checking unused areas.
Staff and fire wardens can help identify and report concerns, keep escape routes clear and follow the emergency plan. Security arrangements must also allow occupants to leave safely in a fire. Review precautions when the premises, occupancy or pattern of incidents changes.
Make sure your workplace has trained fire wardens in place.
Explore the Fire Warden / Fire Marshal Course →Sources & references
- MHCLG FIRE0401: deliberate fires, England (Excel)
- MHCLG: fire statistics definitions
- Legal Expert: original FOI research release, May 2025 (2022–2024 force returns)
- Home Office: Economic and social cost of fire, England 2019/20 (published 2023)
Mark writes about workplace fire safety, compliance and online training for Fire Marshal Training, part of Online CPD Academy.