7.1. Introduction

In last year’s Key Health Data we looked at the demography of those injured by fire, and the rate of fires by ward and PCT. In this year’s report the focus is on accidental fires in the home – what causes these fires, the types of injuries sustained in these fires, and the actions which resulted in these injuries. We also look at smoke alarm ownership and the relationship between smoke alarm ownership and injuries.

In June 2003 the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) published the White Paper ‘Our Fire and Rescue Service’ which points out that ‘the largest single cause of deaths and injuries from fire is accidental fires in the home. Those most likely to be at risk from fire, whether accidental or deliberately set, are the poorest in our society. They are more likely to have a fire in the home, and are less likely to be insured’. To underpin the Government’s determination to reduce accidental fire deaths, the government recently announced a Service Delivery Agreement target for Community Fire Safety and Health Inequalities. The target is ‘to reduce the number of accidental fire related deaths in the home by 20% averaged over the eleven year period to March 2010 compared with the average recorded in the five year period to March 1999’.

Recent high profile campaigns include:

   ‘Push the button! Not your luck’ – emphasising the importance of buying and maintaining a smoke alarm;
   ‘Fire starts when your attention stops’ – a reminder not to get distracted whilst cooking; and,
   ‘Make your plan. Get out alive’ – encouraging people to make a fire action plan so that they know what to do if a fire starts in their home.

This chapter reports the incidence and impact of fires across the West Midlands metropolitan county, which is served by West Midlands Fire Service. This is one of five fire services across the West Midlands region, the others being Hereford and Worcester, Warwickshire, Shropshire and Staffordshire. West Midlands Fire Service covers the largest population of the five – over 2.5 million people and 1 million households.

7.2. Location and motive of fires

Fire Officers investigate the cause of each fire and make an informed decision about whether the fire was arson or was started accidentally. Table 7.1 shows the location and motive of the fires attended by West Midlands Fire Service in the four years to March 2003. The number of accidental fires is decreasing, whilst the number of arson fires is increasing.

Table 7.1. The location and motive of fires in the West Midlands metropolitan county 1999/00 to 2002/3

7.3. Injuries, rescues and deaths

Two thirds of all fire injuries, rescues and deaths occur at accidental fires in dwellings (Table 7.2).

Table 7.2. The number of deaths, injuries and rescues sustained in fires in the West Midlands metropolitan county 1999/00 to 2002/3

Table 7.3 shows the rate of deaths, injuries and rescues per 1,000 accidental dwelling fires over the previous four years. The rate of rescues has decreased. The rate of deaths fluctuates but low numbers are involved. The rate of injuries decreased to a low in 2001/2 but rose in 2002/3. There was a notable increase in the number of casualties overcome by smoke, fumes or gas.

Table 7.3. The rate of deaths, injuries, rescues per 1,000 accidental fires in dwellings in the West Midlands metropolitan county 1999/00 to 2002/3

Cookers are the most common cause of accidental fires in dwellings (56%), and cooker fires cause the greatest number of casualties (injuries, rescues and deaths) (Table 7.4). Examining the rate of casualties per 1,000 fires provides a measure of the relative danger of each type of fire. Fires caused by smoking materials, matches and candles cause the highest number of casualties per fire, followed by fires caused by heating (e.g. fire in grates, boilers, fan heaters).

Table 7.4. The cause of accidental fires in dwellings, and the rate of injuries at these fires in the West Midlands metropolitan county 1999/00 to 2002/3

Discovering the fire, and being trapped by fire or smoke are the most common behaviours that lead to fire casualties, as can be seen in Table 7.5. Women are more likely than men to be injured discovering the fire, while men are more likely to be injured fighting the fire, rescuing persons / property / animals, or because they are immobile (bedridden or under the influence of alcohol or drugs).

Table 7.5. The behaviour at accidental fires in dwellings that led to injuries, rescues or deaths in the West Midlands metropolitan county 1999/00 to 2002/3

7.4. Smoke alarm ownership

Forty-four percent of the dwellings which had a fire where no casualties were sustained owned a smoke alarm with a battery, compared with only 34% of dwellings where casualties occurred (Table 7.6). Properties where casualties died from the fire were the least likely to have a working smoke alarm.

Table 7.6. Smoke alarm ownership and injury sustained at accidental fires in dwellings in the West Midlands metropolitan county 1999/00 to 2002/3

7.5. Location of fires and smoke alarm ownership

	Figure 7.1. The rate of accidental fires in dwellings by ward, per 1,000 dwellings in the West Midlands metropolitan county 1999/00 to 2002/3
	Figure 7.2. The percentage of accidental fires in dwellings with a working smoke alarm in the West Midlands metropolitan county 1999/00 to 2002/3

References

Office of the Deputy Prime Minister White Paper. Our Fire and Rescue Service. 2003

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