Hartlepool arson hot spots revealed as cases rise by nearly a quarter

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From July to September this year there were 167 deliberate secondary fires recorded in Hartlepool, a rise of just under 22% from 137 incidents last year.

The figures – which identified hot spots across town - have been revealed in a new Safer Hartlepool Partnership report.

Hartlepool Borough Council leader, Cllr Shane Moore, noted at the partnership’s latest meeting: “It is concerning to see that deliberate fires are still going up but obviously that work is still to continue with Cleveland Fire Brigade to try and bring that down.”

Some of the locations across Hartlepool where most secondary arsons are reported to have taken place, according to latest figures.

The report stated in Hartlepool 69% of deliberate secondary fires – which are classed as incidents not involving property or casualties/rescues or where four or fewer fire appliances attend - involved rubbish and grassland.

Analysis identified 56% of all deliberate secondary fires had occurred in the De Bruce, Manor House, Headland and Harbour and Hart wards, with each area seeing between 20 and 25 incidents.

The report also identified problematic locations for repeat incidents, which included Mainsforth Terrace, in the Burn Valley council ward area, Gulliver Road, in Manor House, Brus Tunnel, in De Bruce, and Crocus Gardens, in Hart.

However, when compared to the first quarter of 2021-22, deliberate secondary fires attended by the fire brigade in Hartlepool reduced by 27%, equating to 62 less fires.

Dave Preston, Hartlepool district manager for Cleveland Fire Brigade, had earlier in the meeting outlined how tackling arson and deliberate fires is a key part of their risk management plan for 2022-26.

He said: “We know that within the Cleveland area arson is one of our biggest risks, continuing to be a blight on our community, and accounts for over 80% of our fires that we attend.

“We’re going to continue to implement our arson reduction strategy with our partners and also support Cleveland Police working to an accredited standard for fire investigation.

“We’re going to work with other North East fire and rescue services to understand, through academic research, the science behind why the North East experiences higher levels of arson than other parts of the country.”

He added they are also expanding their firesetter intervention service to include adults.