Crap Towns / Cambridge / Deliberate fires

How many fires get started on purpose in Cambridge?

There were 2.3 deliberate fires per 10,000 people a year in Cambridge from April 2023 to March 2026, 60% lower than the typical town's 5.7. The most common were bins and rubbish set on fire, at 1.0. In 2025/26 it was 1.9, the same as in 2023/24.

**Over time**
Period	Here	Typical town
2023/24	1.9	5.2
2024/25	2.9	5.4
2025/26	1.9	6.4

**What was set alight**
Fire	Here	Typical town
Bins and rubbish set on fire	1.0	1.9
Grass, woods and crops set on fire	0.7	1.7
Other outdoor fires	0.6	1.5

**Nearby towns**
Town	Distance	Fires per 10,000 people a year
Cottenham	9.0 km	6.6
Histon and Impington	5.5 km	5.2
Burwell	15.4 km	3.4
Longstanton and Northstowe	9.9 km	3.0
Soham	20.0 km	2.8
Cambourne	14.2 km	2.7
Cambridge	–	2.3
Newmarket	19.2 km	2.2
Great Shelford and Stapleford	6.0 km	1.6
Waterbeach	8.3 km	1.5
Sawston	9.3 km	0.5
The typical town	–	5.7