Accidental home fires on decrease in Ayrshire

A total of 45 incidents have been reported in the 2017/18 period – down from 46 on the same period last year and down from 50 in the year before. Almost a quarter of incidents were caused by people becoming distracted while cooking.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) also carried out 614 Home Fire Safety Visits between April and September – 433 of which saw free smoke detectors fitted by firefighters. The number of casualties as a result of fire has also remained the same as last year at five reported, down from 16 in 2015/16.

The statistics were heard at a meeting of South Ayrshire’s Partnerships Panel on Wednesday, November 22 by Ayrshire’s Local Senior Officer (LSO) James Scott. Speaking after the meeting, LSO Scott said: “While the downward trend in accidental fires is welcome, we will not break step.

“Preventing fires is as much a part of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service as fighting them – one of the key ways we do this is through our free Home Fire Safety Visits.

“Accidental dwelling fires can cause physical, emotional and financial devastation – not just for those involved but for the community as a whole and we are dedicated to preventing them from ever occurring in the first place.”

Anyone who wants a HFSV or knows someone who may benefit from one should call 0800 0731 999or text "FIRE" to 80800 from your mobile phone. However, while the number of accidental dwelling fires has fallen, the number of people who have come to unintentional injury or harm has risen.

A total of 89 people were involved in incidents such as road traffic collisions, water rescues and in incidents which SFRS assisted other emergency services. This is up from 61 in the same time period for 2016/17.

LSO Scott said: “Our crews continue to work with our partners to engage with the most vulnerable residents to ensure we provide the most appropriate support to reduce the risk of unintentional harm in the home and in the community.

“Partnership prevention work is key to saving lives and protecting properties so we will continue to work with our communities, particularly with the vulnerable and elderly, to ensure risk is reduced and people can live safely.”