Surge in fires in recent months

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There were more fires than usual in Finland in the past spring. Firefighters were particularly busy in May, with an average of 69 emergency calls each day.
      There were a total of 2,139 fires this May, which is 639 more than a year earlier. A large number of the fires involved suspicions of arson.
     
Arsonists are believed to have been behind a recent fire at a waste treatment facility in Seinäjoki, and two wooden houses in Turku.
      The spring’s biggest arson fires were the burning of the Helsinki railway warehouses and the roof of the Porvoo Cathedral. The warehouse fire is thought to have inspired other arsonists. However, the surge in fires began already before the warehouses burned.
      The rescue services indicate the number of fires they suspect are arson-related. Normally about 15-17 percent of fires are seen as intentional. This year’s statistics are still unavailable.
     
lives have been lost in many of the recent fires. The deaths have occurred in fires in houses or apartment buildings. Fires claimed the lives of 56 people by the end of May. Most of the victims were men. Last year fires claimed the lives of 115 people.
      According to the information released on Thursday, 1,732 buildings caught fire during the first five months this year. The figure for the same time last year was only 1,003.
      According to Janne Koivukoski of the Ministry of the Interior, the monthly fluctuation in the number of fires can be considerable, but the yearly difference has been small for years.
      The monthly variation in the number of fires is mainly attributable to weather conditions. However, such a large increase of fires in buildings is unusual.
     
"People should not draw direct conclusions between the fire in the railway warehouses and the increased number of fires", Kouvukoski stresses.
      The warehouses were destroyed in early May, and the increase in fires started well before that, which means that it  could not have inspired arsonists before it occurred.
      According to Koivukoski several forest fires occurred during the same weekend as the fire in railway warehouse fire. Officials are investigating them more closely than usual.
      "It was a very warm weekend and fires had accidentally spread into the wild."
     
We have a similar situation right now. There was a warning of likely forest and brush fires throughout the country.
      "Extreme caution must be exercised with fire right now", Koivukoski stresses.
      According to the Finnish National Rescue Association, electrical failure was the main cause of fires in buildings.
     
According to Matti Orriainen, the head of the Rescue Association, the victims of building fires are usually people who are impaired by old age, medication, or intoxication.
      "Even though the fire alarm is working normally, these people cannot escape the fire on their own", Orriainen says.
      He thinks that the best way to reduce deaths due to fires would be to place automatic sprinklers in houses.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Three young people come forward and admit lighting Porvoo Cathedral fire (1.6.2006)
  Criminal police hear several people over arson of railway warehouses (9.5.2006)

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