05/08/2003

Fire brigade with more than 1 million fires in a year: Prescott

Latest national fire statistics covering the 12 months to September 2002 were issued today by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

First estimates show that the UK fire and rescue service attended just over 1 million fires and false fire alarms during the 12 months to September 2002 - 2% more than the previous 12-month period. The total number of fires attended increased by 3% to 529,400. This increase was largely due to a 6% rise to 293,700 in the number of "secondary" fires (mainly outdoor fires such as refuse and grassland) and an 8% increase in deliberate road vehicle fires (now at 81,400).

However, there was a fall of 4% in the number of fires in buildings to 107,000 (including a 5% fall in fires in the home to 65,600).

There was an increase in the estimated number of fire deaths from 578 to 612. This compares with 613 recorded in 2000, 623 in 1999 and 656 in 1998. However, within this category there was a fall in the estimated number of deaths from accidental dwelling fires, down to 393 from the previous year's estimate of 400. Injuries resulting from fires fell by 3% to 16,700, the lowest figure recorded since the revised fire statistics collection was introduced in 1994.

The number of false fire alarms increased by 1% to 478,500, although this is 6% lower than the peak of 507,000 in 1995. Within this category the number of false alarms due to apparatus rose by 2% to 282,900 whilst malicious false alarms fell by 6% to 68,700.

(GMcG)

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