Identified risk: fires

Most fire-related deaths and injuries occur when there is a fire in a home, so we need to make sure that we are working effectively to reduce the number of fires and limit their severity when they do happen.

Evidence from national and local studies suggests that, while the overall risk of fire in the home is low, some people are at greater risk from fire than others. We undertake research and analysis to identify the lifestyle and environmental factors that are most commonly associated with fires and related deaths and injuries.

From a survey in 2021 we understand that our communities are concerned about increases in the housing stock. The Office for National Statistics estimates that by 2025 the population of Devon and Somerset will have increased by 5% and that by 2043 it will have increased by 14%³. We are expecting to see more than 78,000 new homes built in our two counties by 2031⁴, with most of this development focused around urban areas.

The Home Office publication ‘Detailed analysis of fires attended by fire and rescue services, England, April 2020 to March 2021 (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/detailed-analysis-of-fires-attended-by-fire-and-rescue-services-england-april-2020-to-march-2021)' states "by combining Incident Recording System (IRS) and English Housing Survey data, Home Office statisticians have calculated that you are around eight times more likely to die in a fire if you do not have a working smoke alarm in your home.”

^{3 Office for National Statistics mid-year population estimates
4 Office for National Statistics household projections for England}

Seventy-two people died after a fire engulfed Grenfell Tower, a west London residential high-rise building. More than 200 firefighters and 40 fire engines responded to the fire, and 151 homes were destroyed in the building and the surrounding area.

The fire has impacted nationally on fire services’ prevention, protection and emergency response arrangements, and will continue to do so as lessons are learnt, and recommendations from both the public inquiry and Independent Review of Building Regulations are implemented.

These incidents can pose significant societal, economic and environmental risks to our communities and can require large numbers of our resources, meaning that they may not be available to respond to other incidents. Whilst the life-risk at these incidents is generally lower than at dwelling fires, undertaking firefighting activity in large and often complex buildings can pose a high risk to our firefighters.

While the likelihood of a significant fire in hospitals, residential homes and other health care acute services is low, the potential severity of an incident in a setting that accommodates many people with greater levels of vulnerability due to health and wellbeing issues is high. These buildings are often large and complex and our response can be challenging due to hazardous materials and the procedures that we need to follow.

Like hospitals and residential care homes, hotels and guest houses have the potential for significant loss of life in the event of fire. This is largely because many people are sleeping in an unfamiliar environment and are likely to be less aware of the layout of the building.

Losing any historic building or landscape to fire, storm or flood would be a significant loss to local, and in some cases national or even international heritage. The effects can be far-reaching, including loss of unique features and irreplaceable art, and the economic impact on local communities.
 

Although the Service does not have an offshore firefighting responsibility, we do have a duty to respond to fires in vessels alongside (next to land). These incidents can be hazardous because of the way vessels are constructed. Getting in and getting out is difficult, and fire can spread easily by conduction through metal bulkheads and air handling machinery.

The impact of global warming on the environment can also be seen in the increase in wildfires globally. More locally, Devon and Somerset have two major national parks within our area and we need to ensure that we have sufficient resources in place at the right time to minimise the impact on affected communities. At the same time, we have experience that we can use to support others who are charged with the responsibility for reducing the impact of flooding.