Fire crews reach out to keep homeless safe

The Forster Square rail arches, highlighted as a "hot spot" for fires, were sealed off during the summer

Firefighters in Bradford are working to tackle a “trend” of deliberate fires in derelict buildings frequented by homeless people.

Crews have attended multiple incidents where rough sleepers have lit fires to keep warm or cook food, with Midland Mills and the Forster Square rail arches among areas to have seen repeated fires over the past two years.

The Bradford Homeless Outreach Partnership has been offering safety advice to homeless people, with the city seeing some of the UK's "highest rates of deliberate fire setting".

A report on the partnership's work will be presented later at a meeting of the West Yorkshire Fire Authority’s Community Safety Committee.

'Stubbornly high'

Midland Mills and the Forster Square arches, which were both highlighted as "hot spots" in the report, have both been sealed off.

The John Green Building on Bolton Road, that was closed for safety reasons over two years ago, was also highlighted, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

It saw a major fire last week, after the report had been written.

The report also said there had been fires at Rawson Square – a semi-sheltered pedestrian area next to two large empty shops, the former Wilko and the former B&M.

It said: “Bradford has some of the highest rates of deliberate fire setting in the country; with a combination of high deprivation and anti-social behaviour, it has led to several wards becoming major hotspots.

“Incident data shows that whilst overall fire incidents have reduced, Bradford’s deliberate fires remain stubbornly high.

“Around two thirds of all incidents in Bradford are deliberate fires.

"Many are ‘secondary’ fires, such as rubbish fires or small grass fires. High levels of fly tipping are significantly contributing to an increase in deliberate fires.

“We have identified a specific trend with deliberate fires at several locations across the city, where homeless people are living."

The report on the partnership's progress will be presented to councillors from across West Yorkshire.

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