The amount of deaths due to fire-related incidents has seen the highest percentage rise in over 20 years throughout England. Statistics recorded by the home office show that 303 people have been killed in fires between 2015 and 2016. This is a 15{aa955c166aa18488544e22ee37e155faf9f105630a82e6f31f72aeae463d8b78} rise in only 12 months. It is absolutely vital to have fire protection systems in your home and business. TPT Fire systems will give you confidence that your domestic or commercial property is fully protected.
Increase in Fire Related Deaths
The fire service located in Cumbria and Cambridgeshire have seen the highest fatality rates. Brandon Lewis, the Fire Service minister, said there had been a noticeable increase in fire related deaths. The figures he refers to show that there have been 162,000 fires across England between 2015 and 2016, which represents an increase in 7,000 fires since the previous years.
From these incidents, there has also been 303 fire-related deaths, this means 39 more than there had been the previous year.
Geographical Variation in the Fatality Rates
There were also some figures that showed a geographical variation in the fatality rates for home fires, which are currently classified as the most dangerous in a domestic setting. In the previous year, Cambridgeshire and Cumbria had the most fatalities; these were equivalent of 25 deaths occurring in every 1000 fires that occurred at home. The average across England was only seven deaths for every 1000 home fires.
As a matter of fact, the number of deaths by household fires has been steadily dropping across England over the past five decades. The number of fire related deaths fell 22{aa955c166aa18488544e22ee37e155faf9f105630a82e6f31f72aeae463d8b78} in the end of 2006. The Home Office Suggests that the number of deaths could be due to the increase in accidents occurring in the home and an increase in fatal fires caused by aircraft accidents.
Postcode Lottery Effect
Secretary of the Cambridge Fire Brigade’s Union, Cameron Matthews, called these figures heartbreaking, adding that it’s wrong that they now have a postcode lottery in effect.
Cambridgeshire has seen some of the highest cuts in the country to their limited budget. They have also lost firefighters and it is apparent that these government cuts are responsible for the many deaths.
The Cambridgeshire Fires and Rescue Service’s Spokesperson said, “No cuts have been made that impact the front line and so the correlation is not well defined.”
“The amount of fire related deaths fluctuates greatly but are still comparatively low. We are the fifth lowest in fires happening at home from out of the entire country and no matter how you cut it, this is a good thing.”
Data has been collected from many sources across the country by the Department of Communities and Local Governments back in 2015. The reports show that number of firemen in service has fallen since the previous decades by as much as 14{aa955c166aa18488544e22ee37e155faf9f105630a82e6f31f72aeae463d8b78}. The reports go on to mention that fire and rescue services have increased response time in the past six year as well.
The idea that fire related deaths was directly due to the cuts in funding is another claim that has been refuted by the Home Office.
Brandon Lewis is the Minister for Policing and the Fire and Rescue Services, he expressed his regret saying that any death by fire was an awful tragedy.
“There has been a steady increase in deaths by fire and fires in general and this downward trend has continued for many years and has seen the highest numbers ever within the recent years.”
