Heritage under fire

Mill fire at Rock Nook, Summit, Littleborough

Fire and Rescue Services have joined with Historic England to tackle a growing incidence of heritage related arson.

Over the past year, Historic England and fire services have seen a worrying rise in the number of fires at historic properties. Vacant buildings are disproportionately affected, and it is estimated that more than half of the useable buildings on Historic England's North West Heritage at Risk Register could become a target for arson due to vacancy.

A recent survey of textile mills across Greater Manchester indicates that around 44% of all textile mills have been demolished since the 1980s. Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue’s records show there have been more than 50 significant textile mill fires since 2010, with 20 registered as deliberate.

Historic England has been working in partnership with our five North West Fire and Rescue Services to help property owners take preventative measures against arson. Arson is the criminal act of deliberately setting fire to property. In any situation the effects can be catastrophic with consequences going far beyond the financial - they can involve:

• Death and injury to staff, visitors and fire fighters
• Permanent loss of business (two thirds of businesses that experience a fire never recover)
• Loss of jobs and community resources
• Environmental pollution including air pollution by smoke
• Permanent loss of our national and local heritage
• Damage to local distinctiveness and civic pride

An arson risk reduction guide has been produced with a simple risk assessment form that can be completed by those who own or manage historic buildings or sites to help them preserve life and heritage in the North West. 

The free guidance is available to download from:

https://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/arson-risk-reduction