Crap Towns / Nelson / Deliberate fires

How many fires get started on purpose in Nelson?

There were 10.5 deliberate fires per 10,000 people a year in Nelson from April 2023 to March 2026, 1.8 times the typical town's 5.7. The most common were bins and rubbish set on fire, at 8.0. In 2025/26 it was 11.0, up from 8.8 in 2023/24.

**Over time**
Period	Here	Typical town
2023/24	8.8	5.2
2024/25	11.5	5.4
2025/26	11.0	6.4

**What was set alight**
Fire	Here	Typical town
Bins and rubbish set on fire	8.0	1.9
Other outdoor fires	1.5	1.5
Grass, woods and crops set on fire	1.0	1.7

**Nearby towns**
Town	Distance	Fires per 10,000 people a year
Clayton-le-Moors	13.3 km	28.1
Burnley	5.1 km	23.4
Colne	3.4 km	19.3
Accrington	14.0 km	18.9
Padiham	8.0 km	14.0
Nelson	–	10.5
Great Harwood	14.3 km	8.2
Brierfield	2.0 km	6.1
Clitheroe	12.8 km	5.9
Barnoldswick	9.3 km	5.4
Barrowford	2.1 km	4.3
The typical town	–	5.7