Fire bosses are delighted that the number of fires at home have fallen.
New figures show there were 81 accidental dwelling fires in 2022/23, down from 86 the previous year.
However, the number of people injured as a result of these incidents more than doubled from four to nine, with one person losing their life.
The data is outlined in the fire service’s annual report for the council’s police, fire and rescue sub committee next week.
The report, to be presented by Area Manager Andy Kenna, says the service is “pleased” with the six per cent drop in house fires.
It states: “Many people are now able to work from home rather than attend an office premises.
“During a period where homes were more frequently occupied, this figure is testament to the support and engagement activities carried out by SFRS community action team members to ensure residents of Dumfries and Galloway remain safe in their homes from fire, no matter the challenges experienced over the recent months.”
Of the nine people injured, one person lost their life after a blaze at Brydekirk.
The report states: “Although any fire fatality is one too many, these figures are relatively low.”
The report reveals there was a seven per cent increase in the total number of incidents dealt with to 2,110 but the number of primary and secondary fires fell by 11 per cent to 483.
The 35 per cent fall to 67 for cases of non-fire casualties is described as encouraging and is “probably due to the changing habits of society during the Covid-19 pandemic”.
The service dealt with 77 road accidents, down from 97 the year before. Thirty eight people were injured – nearly half the previous year’s total of 70. Of them, two lost their lives.
There were 67 other injuries dealt with by special services – down from 104 – which cover issues such as suicide attempts and helping ambulance personnel gain entry to a building.
The report reveals: “Sadly, we attended 16 fatalities during this reporting period.
“Age and underlying medical conditions were a major factor.”
Deliberate fire setting fell from 195 to 162 and “all but seven incidents were some form of vegetation, refuse or outdoor shelter”.
And 15 young people were referred to an education programme following the first blaze at the former convent in Dumfries.
The convent blaze was one of 45 non-domestic fires, down from the previous year’s tally of 62.
There was a significant increase in unwanted fire alarm signals – from 493 to 579. This is described as “not surprising” as people returned to work following the lifting of coronavirus restrictions.
The report adds: “With business struggling to turn a profit, it is also likely fire alarm maintenance and improvement has not been the main focus of owners and occupiers.”
From the start of next month, fire fighters will no longer attend automatic fire alarm callouts unless someone at the property has confirmed there is a fire.
Dumfries and Galloway operates mainly with retained firefighters and they made sure appliances were available nearly 80 per cent of the time – a trend not repeated across the country and “a credit to those serving in their local communities”.
However, levels are lower than the previous year as some staff are returning to their main employment and able to take longer holidays – with some bosses now reluctant to let staff respond during work.
The report will be presented to members of the police, fire and rescue sub committee on June 15.
