Simon Jones, Client Services Director, Woodgate & Clark
A version of this article first appeared in Insurance Post, May 2025
There has a been a sharp rise in deliberate fires including arson in public buildings in the past year. This is testing the mettle of the loss adjusting sector given the complexities involved in managing claims of this nature.
According to data from the Home Office , there were over 2151 deliberate fires in public properties including religious buildings, sports pavilions and public admin offices in the last reporting year for 2023/24 - a 65% increase in just a year and well above the number of accidental fires (415). This echoes Woodgate & Clark’s experience investigating and managing fire related claims in public buildings.
In contrast, school fires as a whole have seen a steady decline with 451 fires in schools in the reporting year 23/24. While this is the lowest level to date, that’s still 451 too many.
Our expert team of loss adjusters really demonstrate the depth and breadth of their technical expertise and people skills when dealing with the aftermath of fires in public buildings.
Fundamentally, many of these buildings support already stretched services for local communities. The pressure is on to get temporary alternative arrangements made for those affected – from primary school students to pensioners - investigations to be completed quickly and thoroughly and for repairs to be undertaken at speed. Above all, disruption must be minimised.
The focus is on identifying the root cause using forensic specialists. Often, specialist repairs are needed for listed properties with historical and local significance. There also tends to be a great deal of local interest in how and when those repairs are undertaken. We never underestimate the emotional impact on the local community of a fire in a much loved and much needed public building – whether it’s new or old.
We engage in constant communication with the policyholder at the local authority along with the teams at the affected property during the claim. And of course, we explain how to mitigate the future risk of a fire – deliberate or otherwise.
49 people died in deliberate fires in the reporting year 23/24, up from 38 from 22/23 . The reasons for this rise remain unclear. What is clear is that there have been some failures in risk management that need to be addressed urgently for the safety of people and continuity of vital public services.
