Crap Towns / Northam / Deliberate fires

How many fires get started on purpose in Northam?

There were 8.7 deliberate fires per 10,000 people a year in Northam from April 2023 to March 2026, 1.5 times the typical town's 5.7. The most common were other outdoor fires, at 3.0. In 2025/26 it was 11.8, up from 9.2 in 2023/24.

**Over time**
Period	Here	Typical town
2023/24	9.2	5.2
2024/25	5.0	5.4
2025/26	11.8	6.4

**What was set alight**
Fire	Here	Typical town
Other outdoor fires	3.0	1.5
Bins and rubbish set on fire	2.9	1.9
Grass, woods and crops set on fire	2.8	1.7

**Nearby towns**
Town	Distance	Fires per 10,000 people a year
Barnstaple	11.8 km	9.4
Northam	–	8.7
Ilfracombe	19.4 km	7.1
Great Torrington	10.8 km	6.9
South Molton	26.8 km	6.4
Bude	32.8 km	5.4
Okehampton	36.5 km	5.4
Fremington	5.5 km	3.2
Bideford	2.3 km	3.0
Braunton	8.6 km	2.6
Launceston	46.3 km	2.4
The typical town	–	5.7