Communities and Local Government

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• Statistical Release

Fire Statistics Monitor: Q1 2007

The latest national statistics on fires, casualties and false alarms attended by the Fire and Rescue Services in the United Kingdom produced by Communities and Local Government were released on Friday 2 May 2008.

Statistics in this release cover a range of issues concerning fire incidents in the United Kingdom including fires, casualties and false alarms attended by the Fire and Rescue Services in the United Kingdom from 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007.

The latest statistics report on the period 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007. The key points from the latest release are:

• The United Kingdom Fire and Rescue Services attended 862,300 fire and false alarm incidents in the 12 months to 31 March 2007 - a slight increase on the previous 12 months.
• There were 448 fire deaths in this period - down 5 per cent on the previous 12 months and the lowest figure since before 1950. Dwelling fire deaths fell by 4 per cent to 324, the lowest total since records began. However, all fire death figures for 2006-07 should be treated with caution as they are still provisional and subject to change.
• Primary fires fell by 5 per cent to 156,800. This is the lowest total since 1983. Within this dwelling fires hit a 30 year low (55,000, down 4 per cent), fires in other buildings - including workplaces and areas where people gather - are at their lowest since 1958 (down 6 per cent to 32,500) and road vehicle fires again fell (by 9 per cent to 57,500) to their lowest total since 1990. Secondary fires rose by 5 per cent to 261,200.
• Attendances at false alarms increased by less than 1 per cent to 435,700 continuing the trend since 2001. Within this there was an 11 per cent fall (to 32,200) in malicious false alarms and a slight increase (to 238,700) in false alarms due to apparatus.

The Quarterly Statistical Release and the accompanying tables are available at: Fire Statistics Monitor: Q1 2007.