Crap Towns / Saffron Walden / Deliberate fires

How many fires get started on purpose in Saffron Walden?

There were 2.6 deliberate fires per 10,000 people a year in Saffron Walden from April 2023 to March 2026, 54% lower than the typical town's 5.7. The most common were other outdoor fires, at 1.4. In 2025/26 it was 3.0, down from 4.2 in 2023/24.

**Over time**
Period	Here	Typical town
2023/24	4.2	5.2
2024/25	0.6	5.4
2025/26	3.0	6.4

**What was set alight**
Fire	Here	Typical town
Other outdoor fires	1.4	1.5
Bins and rubbish set on fire	0.6	1.9
Grass, woods and crops set on fire	0.6	1.7

**Nearby towns**
Town	Distance	Fires per 10,000 people a year
Great Dunmow	17.8 km	5.6
Royston	18.8 km	4.8
Buntingford	20.1 km	4.5
Takeley and Little Canfield	17.0 km	3.1
Bishop's Stortford	17.7 km	2.9
Saffron Walden	–	2.6
Cambridge	21.8 km	2.3
Haverhill	15.3 km	2.2
Stansted Mountfitchet	13.7 km	2.0
Great Shelford and Stapleford	16.3 km	1.6
Sawston	12.6 km	0.5
The typical town	–	5.7