West Yorkshire prisoners who set fire to cells should be prosecuted, meeting told
There has been a drastic rise in the number of arson incidents in West Yorkshire’s prisons in recent years – with many of the fires started using vapes.
Last updated 15th Jul 2025
PRISONERS who start fires in their cells should be prosecuted rather than just given sanctions, a meeting has heard.
There has been a drastic rise in the number of arson incidents in West Yorkshire’s prisons in recent years – with many of the fires started using vapes.
In 2022/23 West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service attended 27 fires in local prisons.
This figure rose to 127 incidents in 2024/25.
At a meeting of West Yorkshire Fire Authority’s Community Safety Committee on Friday members were given an update on the rising problem, and Councillors were told that the service was pushing for harsher sentences for incarcerated arsonists.
At previous meetings members have heard that fires are a way of intimidating fellow prisoners or settling debts.
Many prisoners set fire to their own cells in a bid to be moved to a more favourable location.
Addressing the committee Lee Miller, Leeds District Commander, said: “Prisoners being prisoners, they are inventive. They’ll find new ways to set fires.”
A report to members said: “We have seen a steady rise in cell fires, the vast majority of which have been started using vape pens—either by manipulating the heating element or the charging cables.
“We found that offenders face adjudication by the governor, which could result in up to 30 additional days added to their sentence.
“In severe cases, they could face criminal charges if the fire endangered staff or other prisoners.
“Privileges and work routines could also be revoked, and offenders could be confined to the segregation wing for a set period.
“For a case to be considered by the Crown Prosecution Service, the damage must exceed a threshold of £2,000.
“However, due to inaccurate costings, this threshold was rarely met.
“To address this, the Prison Liaison Officer collaborated with the repair and procurement departments to create an incident reporting form. This form captures accurate damage assessments, assigns costs, and includes questions that police would typically ask the perpetrator.
“We also found that after a cell fire, prisoners were relocated with all their property—including clothing and shoes contaminated with toxins and carcinogens from the smoke.
“The Prison Liaison Officer advised governors that such items should be sent for decontamination or, if heavily soiled, destroyed. After this guidance was issued to staff and inmates, we observed a reduction in cell fires.
“However, many fires are still started by new arrivals who do not yet have enough personal property to deter them.”
Mr Miller told members: “Prisoners quickly realised that if they put their belongings in a bag before they start the fire the clothes don’t get contaminated.”
Chair of the committee Councillor Charlie Keith (Lab) said: “I’ve visited high security prisons before and the ingenuity of people in there is phenomenal. I’m surprised at what they can do.”
The report concluded “With the new incident reporting form, we hope to see more cases referred to and approved by the CPS.
“There have been instances in the UK where up to two years were added to a sentence. If such a case occurred in one of our Leeds District sites, it could serve as a powerful deterrent.”