Kingston firefighters have attended 134 deliberate fires and 64 hoax calls in the past year, but the number is dropping.
The figures are revealed in a guide which reveals that from April to April 2008-9, Kingston’s firefighters attended 207 serious fires, down from 219 in the previous period.
There were 92 fires in people’s homes last year, a reduction from 116 the year before.
A spate of arson attacks have hit New Malden this year but, although police have arrested two people, no one has ever been charged.
John Elwell, fire brigade commander for Kingston, said: “It’s encouraging to see that fires in people’s homes have reduced, along with arson incidents and hoax calls, but we won’t be complacent, and will continue to work with other local organisations.
“I’m particularly keen to make sure there is nobody in our borough who is unaware of simple fire safety tips that could save their life.”
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