Fire statistics

[lyledunn]

I am interested in fires of an electrical origin but I cannot find any real breakdown of the statistics other than a division between fires caused by the fixed installation and those caused by things connected to the fixed  installation. Would FRS record greater detail? For example, I would like to know how many fires started at the electrical intake. Of those how many were on the DNO equipment and how many on the consumers side. If we are to make inroads into fire safety on the electrical side of things then detail is required. LFB were able to quote 170 plastic consumer unit fires in the last five years but I cannot find corroboration of that trend in national statistics. I do appreciate that cause is sometimes less than definite.

[Mike Buckley]

Probably not, if the issue is not part of the fire stats recording process it will not be recorded. the only way it could have been recorded would be if it was raised as an issue of interest that would require additional reporting.

[SamFIRT]

I have had the same problem researching fires arising from PV solar systems over the past year. Nationally the data simply is not there in the required detail. The best way I found was to discuss the problem with a local FRS who may collect extra data over and above that required in IRS. But my research has shown that even this is flawed. There is an interesting report available from Mark Hobbs E Sussex FRS on electrical intake fires and their Black musium http://www.esfrs.org/black-museum/all-the-black-museum-cases/ is a good place to look

[colin todd]

There are lies, damned lies, statistics and IRS reports.

[lyledunn]

Colin, there was me thinking that 5839 was based on solid evidence gleaned from robust, reliable fire statistics!