Outdoor fires number one call out for rescue services

Outside fires were the number one call out for rescue services in East Lothian last year with more than half started deliberately.

A report on the incidents tackled by firefighters in the council over the last six months of last year has revealed that more than 200 of the 278 call outs to blazes were in outside spaces.

Woodlands, grass areas and crops were top of the places crews were sent to to tackle deliberate fires, with the number of incident increasing by 41 per cent.

Musselburgh accounted for twice as many deliberate incidents than any other town and the report which will be presented to the council’s police and fire board later this month said of the 152 deliberate fires recorded across East Lothian over the six month period 45 were in the town.

It said: “The figure of 152 is a 13 percent increase from the same reporting period in 24/25. The incidents involving grassland, woodland and crops saw a 41 per cent increase from the previous year.

“We continue to see these incidents mostly occurring between 1600hrs and 2100hrs.”

Musselburgh saw a number of incidents last year including a car being set alight on Bonfire night and a field going up in flames on the edge of town completely destroying it.

The crop fire in August sparked concern after a second blaze in the neighbouring town of Tranent was started on the same night with hay bales deliberately set alight.

Overall Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said it attended 717 incidents over the first two quarters of 2025/26 with the vast majority not fire-related.

It said the top call out was to outside fires which accounted for 204 of them followed by 121 false alarms caused by appliances, 94 false alarms with good intent and 81 unwanted fire alarm signals.