ARSON attacks account for more than one third of all Cumbria fires, new figures show.
Statistics reveal the number of fires started deliberately accounted for 38 per cent of all fires in Cumbria in 2015/16.
Although around the county the number of arson attacks dropped slightly compared to 2014/15, in Allerdale they increased by 20 per cent.
Recent high-profile cases include that of Ben Taylor, 24, of Whole House Road, Seascale, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison last June after being found guilty of five counts of arson.
He started three fires at the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway – "The Ratty" – while employed by the company.
The majority of incidents attended by firefighters are false alarms – 43 per cent – followed by fires, at 31 per cent. Seven per cent are road crashes.
A report states: “Overall, the total number of emergencies attended by Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service has decreased from 5,348 in 2010/11 to 4,518 in 2015-16.”
The report attributes the decrease in the number of fires to more effective targeting of people or locations predicted to have a fire.
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