Spike in deliberate fires in Kettering - with four in one night

Three of them took place within ten minutes of each other
Investigations are ongoingInvestigations are ongoing
Investigations are ongoing

A spike in deliberate fires in Kettering has seen more than 30 incidents in three months - with four recorded in a single night this week.

Those in the town are being urged to 'keep an eye out' after a series of reports, with many in the Grange estate and High Street areas.

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Northamptonshire's Arson Task Force say the fires are youth-related and some are the subject of a police investigation.

The joint partnership between Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue Service and Northamptonshire Police, which investigates incidents of deliberate fire starting, has seen a significant increase in fires being started with 32 registered in the three months between August 2 and November 2 in Kettering.

In October alone there were 14 deliberate fires, with three of these affecting buildings used by the public.

And a further four were reported on Tuesday evening (November 2), with three of those being within ten minutes of each other in Bertha Way, Dorothy Road and Stamford Road.

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Kelly Crockett, an arson reduction co-ordinator with the Arson Task Force, said: “We’ve had a lot of reports across different areas of Kettering, including around the High Street and the Grange Estate.

“These include incidents at the Gala Bingo hall, Methodist Church and cricket pavilion within the last couple of months, while in the summer there was a lot of bin fires, hay bales and grass fires. Now we’re seeing smaller fires using things like wood and cardboard.

“These smaller fires in particular are becoming a regular occurrence and this is wasting both the time and resources of fire crews and neighbourhood policing teams. Diverting fire crews to deliberately started fires also means they could potentially miss an emergency incident where a life may be at risk.

"We have identified that all of these fires are youth-related, some of which are currently being investigated further by police. Deliberate fires also pose a very big risk to the person who started the fire, so young people are putting themselves in danger by doing this.

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“We would encourage the public to report any incidents that they witness or may be aware of.”

If you see a deliberate fire being started or it is currently in progress, call 999 and ask for the fire service. If you have information following an incident of arson, then you can call FireStoppers anonymously on 0800 169 5558.