UK — The number of construction-site fires is soaring – but data gaps and reporting issues stand in the way of tackling the problem. Home Office construction-fire statistics indicate a 43 per cent rise in deliberately caused fires between 2015-17; this is a significant cause for concern for the sector. …We simply do not have the data for all near-misses and small fires, which is preventing us from understanding their root causes. We are unable to fully grasp the factors that influence the rate of fire-incident growth, which is preventing the industry from putting in place mitigation measures. …The subject of construction-site fires has been much debated since an alarming number of significant construction fires took place between 1970-80, and then again following a spate of significant timber-frame construction fires during the 1990s. [to access the full story, a subscription may be required]