A fire in the home can occur at any time, without warning. Even with the best precautions in place, no property is immune from the risks of fire and the often-irreversible devastation and heartbreak it can cause.

The following UK fire statistics have been compiled to draw attention to the risks of house fires, the main causes of house fires, and when most house fires occur. All information was sourced from the Home Office’s official fire statistics data tables page on the gov.uk website.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fire-statistics-data-tables#dwelling-fires-attended

How many fires are there in the UK each year?
There were 29,592 dwelling fires attended in England in 2018/19, which works out at 528 fires per 1 million people

How many deaths are caused by fire each year in the UK?
There were 316 fire-related deaths in the UK in 2018/19, according to the government statistics. The majority of fire-related deaths are caused by smoke inhalation of the toxic gases produced by fires, rather than fire itself. In isolation, burns by fire accounted for a quarter of fatalities.

What are the most common causes of house fires in the UK?
The most common causes of accidental house fires in the UK according to official Home Office statistics are as follows:

When do most house fires occur in the UK?
House fires can happen at any time of day and at any time of year but are most common in December, and between the hours of 6pm and 8pm. Winter months naturally see an increase in chimney fires, particularly in December, January, and February.

How many home fire deaths result from fires with no working smoke alarms?
Official UK statistics show that 50% of deaths in domestic properties result from fires where a smoke alarm was not present or did not operate or raise alarm.

Arson. How many fires in the UK are deliberate?
Of the 37,740 dwelling fires attended by UK fire and rescue services in 2017/18, approximately 10% (3,919) were started deliberately. There were 58 fatalities in England in the same year caused by deliberate fires, and a further 1,186 casualties.

Don’t Risk becoming a statistic
Don’t risk becoming this year’s statistic. Install smoke detectors in your home and test them regularly. For more information or advice contact our customer service team today.

The Chief Fire Officers’ Association (CFOA) estimated that 60% of private businesses never recover from a fire. The loss of data, working hours and replacement materials are simply too much for many businesses to content with, especially at a time when the economy is rocky to say the least.

Intelligent Security and Fire are here to help your business reduce the risk of fire. This is an increasingly important issue, as fire authorities no longer issue fire certificates and those previously in force have no legal status.

The emphasis is now on individual businesses to manage any fire risk in their premises. Each year people die or are seriously injured as a result of fires at work. Besides loss of life, fire costs UK businesses millions of pounds, from damage to property, loss of business, fines, compensation claims and insurance premiums.

There are more fires during a recession
Ironically, there is a historical link between the recession and certain types of crime. During recessions, malicious arson attacks increase.
Following a fire, buildings are checked to see if the building has complied with the relevant guidelines. If they fail this check, business may not be eligible for insurance payments any longer.

Prevention is better than cure
The average cost of a fire in a commercial building is £65,000.

Fire prevention is key to a safe working environment.

Once you have completed a fire risk assessment and possible dangers have been identified you must minimise them immediately.

Failure to do so could result in prosecution or worse; a fire could destroy your business. For further information on Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) and how to comply with The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 go to www.communities.gov.uk/fire/ or www.dsfire.gov.uk.