Man Obsessed with Firefighters Sets Fire to His Own Home Just to See His Idols

On May 2nd, 2025, a man in the UK was handed a suspended prison term after confessing to setting fire to his own house twice in one night to witness firefighters in action. James Brown, a 26-year-old from Northumberland, was not driven by a fascination with fires but rather an obsession and admiration for firefighters. While his dream was to become a firefighter, circumstances led him down a different path, resulting in him resorting to setting his home ablaze to see firefighters respond.

The incidents occurred on September 9, 2023, when firefighters were called to Eleventh Avenue in Ashington following reports of a fire sparked by an electricity meter. After extinguishing the initial fire and disconnecting the power supply, Brown called emergency services again 90 minutes later to report another fire involving his bedding. Suspicious of the repeated incidents, firefighters discovered the fires were likely started intentionally.

Court documents revealed that Brown filmed the firefighters responding to the blazes with great enthusiasm. His excessive calls to the fire department, totaling 80 within a year, raised further concerns. Brown eventually pleaded guilty to two counts of arson endangering lives.

During sentencing, Judge Robert Adams acknowledged Brown’s deep-seated interest in the fire service but emphasized the misuse of emergency resources and the potential danger posed by his actions. Brown received an eight-month suspended sentence for two years and was ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work. His lawyer stated that Brown is remorseful and seeking help to address his obsession, refraining from contacting the fire department since his arrest.