Hoax calls and fire setting

There were an estimated 34,000 deliberate fires in Scotland in 2005.

You might think that's just a lot of burning park bins. You'd be wrong.

Meanwhile, 5762 'hoax' calls put countless lives at risk.

Quick links on this page:

Deliberate fires
Signs of fire-setting and 'fire play'
Hoax calls

Deliberate fires

39% of all fires in Scotland in 2005 were started deliberately.

Under Scots law, 'fire raising' is a crime. Broadly, this means setting fire to anything that's not yours or starting any fire that could damage property or put lives at risk.

Whatever the intention, any fire can burn out of control.

If you have information on any fire you think is deliberate, call Crimestoppers Scotland on 0800 555 111.

Lines are open 24 hours a day and all calls are anonymous.

> visit the Crimestoppers Scotland website

Signs of fire-setting and 'fire play'

If you are a parent or guardian, you may notice some or all of the following:

matches or lighters going missing
flammable liquids going missing
unexplained burn marks on clothing, furniture, carpets
unexplained burn marks on the body, especially hands
smells of smoke on clothes and in hair
finding piles of partially burned sticks, papers etc, especially in secluded areas

Houses of Multiple Occupation - 'HMOs'

If 3 or more of you are renting/sharing, the landlord must have a licence from the local
council for a House of Multiple Occupation.

If there's no licence, don't rent the property.
Report the landlord to the council.

If it has a licence, it must have:

smoke/fire alarms to detect and warn of fire
an emergency plan showing the nearest exit
an escape route
fire extinguishers.

Hoax calls

Fire and Rescue Services attend to every call they receive.

There were 5762 'malicious false alarms' in Scotland in 2005.

These are not the same as accidental false alarms caused by faulty equipment or where the fire had been put out by the time Fire and Rescue Services arrived.

Whenever they attend a hoax call, that means crews are unavailable to attend to any real fires.

Hoax calling is a crime.

If you have information about hoax calls, contact

Crimestoppers Scotland on 0800 555 111.

Lines are open 24 hours a day and all calls are anonymous.

> visit the Crimestoppers Scotland website

Blaze Aware

Blaze Aware - the fire safety site for children.

Packed with information and games for children, and advice for parents and teachers, Blaze Aware is our companion site on fire safety and children.