HOUSE fires in Scotland are at the lowest level since records began, according to the latest figures.
Statistics released by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) show that firefighters responded to more than 3800 accidental house fires in 2023.
It is the lowest level recorded since 2010 and a decrease of 18% over the last decade.
SFRS deputy chief officer Andy Watt has welcomed the decrease in fire callouts and said his colleagues work “tirelessly” to share life-saving guidance with communities across the country.
He said: “It's pleasing to see a reduction in accidental dwelling fires. Prevention is at the core of what we do, and our staff work tirelessly to share life-saving knowledge and guidance with communities to help prevent fires from occurring.
“One way we have done this is through our Home Fire Safety Visit programme, which has seen our staff visit more than half a million homes since 2013 to identify potential hazards.”
SFRS has warned that in more than one-quarter of all house fires, no smoke detector was present in the properties that were affected.
“It is concerning to see a high number of house fires where smoke alarms have not been present,” Watt said.
“Smoke alarms are the best way of providing early detection of a fire and I'd strongly encourage everyone to have interlinked smoke alarms installed within their home.”
Last year firefighters across Scotland attended more than 80,000 emergencies.
The statistics also show that 42 fire deaths were recorded during the same period, down from 43 in 2022.
The number of fire fatalities recorded in Scotland has remained relatively comparable over recent years, SFRS said.
“Sadly, it is also often the same groups of people who lose their lives to fire each year,” Watt said.
“We're working tirelessly to support the most vulnerable members of our communities, but it's true that people of a certain age or who live with certain health conditions remain more at risk of fire.
“That's why we are determined to focus more of our time and resources towards these groups, so we can help them to live more safely.”
Statistics also showed firefighters responded to more than 16,000 non-fire incidents, the second highest number on record, and included callouts to flooding incidents and road traffic collisions.
Deliberate fire-setting is also at its lowest level since records began but still makes up 55% of the more than 24,000 fires attended by crews.
Unwanted fire alarm signals (UFAS) are down by almost half year-on-year. SFRS said this can be attributed to a “radical change” in policy from July 2023 where firefighters now only respond to alarm activations at commercial buildings where this is a clear sign of fire.
Watt said: “Countless hours were spent responding to avoidable alarm activations, often caused by human error or faulty equipment.
“It's very pleasing to see the number of UFAS incidents reduce so significantly and we remain committed to continuing to work with our communities and businesses on this area.”
