Crap Towns / Hertford / Deliberate fires

How many fires get started on purpose in Hertford?

There were 4.4 deliberate fires per 10,000 people a year in Hertford from April 2023 to March 2026, 23% lower than the typical town's 5.7. The most common were bins and rubbish set on fire, at 2.5. In 2025/26 it was 2.8, down from 7.7 in 2023/24.

**Over time**
Period	Here	Typical town
2023/24	7.7	5.2
2024/25	2.6	5.4
2025/26	2.8	6.4

**What was set alight**
Fire	Here	Typical town
Bins and rubbish set on fire	2.5	1.9
Other outdoor fires	1.7	1.5
Grass, woods and crops set on fire	0.2	1.7

**Nearby towns**
Town	Distance	Fires per 10,000 people a year
Waltham Cross	12.7 km	13.8
Harlow	14.3 km	9.6
Stevenage	14.4 km	7.6
Hoddesdon	6.7 km	7.4
Welwyn Garden City	7.5 km	6.8
Ware	4.1 km	5.4
Potters Bar	13.0 km	4.5
Hertford	–	4.4
Cheshunt	10.4 km	4.4
Hatfield	10.8 km	3.6
Waltham Abbey	13.8 km	3.0
The typical town	–	5.7