'Fire!' is never a word you want to hear yelled, no matter where you are. Car fires, house fires, chimney fires...any type of fire is never good news.
Fortunately, statistics can help us to understand where fire safety measures are working and what may still need to change. Statistics can be exceptionally useful when combined with contextual understanding of the times, which can give us deeper insight into why the numbers change - or stay the same - as years pass.
If you're interested in finding out more about fire incident statistics in Wales, and what they tell us about how we can better protect ourselves from fire-related incidents, read on.
How many fires occur in Wales each year?
In 2020-2021, there were 10,238 fires in Wales.
Fortunately, of those 10,238 fires, there were only 21 fatalities and 408 non-fatal casualties.
Official government statistics tell us that, as time goes on, the number of fires in the UK has been steadily going down over the last 20 years.
In the early 2000s, the number of fires in Wales averaged out at around 35,000 a year. Looking at more recent data, we can see that the average number of fires in Wales is now closer to 11,000 a year. That's a decrease of approximately 69% - a rather significant achievement.
Source: gov.wales
What is causing this decrease in fire-related incidents?
The decrease in fires can be attributed to a number of different factors – there is no one action that is driving down the number of incidents.
One of the most important factors when it comes to preventing fire incidents before they occur is fire safety education.
Educating the people of Wales about the importance of fire safety goes a long way towards reducing the number of fires. As the average citizen becomes more informed about the importance of fire safety, the overall risk of fire goes down.
But there's another statistic that draws our attention: the number of people getting fire alarms fitted.
In 1988, the percentage of people in England and Wales who owned a fire alarm was under 10%. By 1998 it had jumped up to 80%, and by 2020 it stood at over 90%.
Source: gov.uk
As the number of fire alarms went up, the number of fatalities and casualties as a result of fire-related incidents was going down.
Source: Home Office
These statistics clearly tell us that one of the most efficient ways to protect yourself from fire-related incidents is to install an effective fire alarm system.
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If you'd like to learn more about how a fire alarm system from IDS Security can help to keep you and your premises safe, why not reach out today to arrange a FREE fire protection survey?
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READ MORE: How Do Fire Alarms Work?
