Fall in number of deliberate fires set before bonfire night

The number of deliberate fires set in the run up to Bonfire Night has dropped by nearly a third over the past five years, say fire brigade chiefs.

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) figures show that the number of deliberate fires in the three weeks up to November 5 in 2018 was 1,302.

By 2022 it had fallen to 907 over the same period.

It comes after riot police were called to disturbances involving bonfires and fireworks in Dundee last November.

The SFRS said most outdoor blazes involved rubbish and woodland, but some were deliberate building and vehicle fires.

It credited the reduction of anti-social behaviour to prevention efforts such as school visits.

Deputy assistant chief officer Iain Macleod urged people to leave fireworks to the professionals.

He said: "Every year our crews are mobilised to deal with deliberately set bonfires and to help people injured by the careless use of fireworks, particularly children and young people.

"But we always want to prevent fires, accidents or injuries from occurring in the first place.

"In the build-up to bonfire night we work tirelessly to engage directly with schools and community groups to educate our young people on the dangers of deliberate fire-setting, bonfires and fireworks."

David McGill, lead clinician for the care of burns in Scotland network and consultant plastic surgeon at Scotland's Burn Hub, urged people to take care around fireworks.

He said: "Unfortunately we see a rise in burn injuries around bonfire night, in both adults and children.

"The majority of these occurred at private properties. Injuries reported ranged from minor, such as burns to the fingers, to severe including loss of fingers and complex eye injuries with loss of vision.

"Children are frequently burned with sparklers. There's a misunderstanding of how hot they can get."