Crap Towns / Dartford / Deliberate fires

How many fires get started on purpose in Dartford?

There were 4.9 deliberate fires per 10,000 people a year in Dartford from April 2023 to March 2026, 14% lower than the typical town's 5.7. The most common were grass, woods and crops set on fire, at 2.2. In 2025/26 it was 5.5, up from 4.9 in 2023/24.

**Over time**
Period	Here	Typical town
2023/24	4.9	5.2
2024/25	4.2	5.4
2025/26	5.5	6.4

**What was set alight**
Fire	Here	Typical town
Grass, woods and crops set on fire	2.2	1.7
Bins and rubbish set on fire	1.8	1.9
Other outdoor fires	0.9	1.5

**Nearby towns**
Town	Distance	Fires per 10,000 people a year
Northfleet	7.2 km	11.7
Purfleet-on-Thames	3.4 km	11.6
Aveley	6.3 km	11.5
Grays	7.9 km	11.0
Swanscombe	4.6 km	9.2
Chafford Hundred and West Thurrock	5.2 km	7.8
Swanley	7.0 km	7.1
South Ockendon	8.4 km	6.1
Dartford	–	4.9
Stone	2.1 km	2.4
Bexley	6.7 km	1.5
The typical town	–	5.7