
How did lockdowns affect Fire Service statistics in 2020?
The UK Government has recently released statistics on the incidents attended by the Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) in England in the year up to 31 December 2020.
In that period 528,601 incidents were attended in total, which is a 5% decrease from the preceding year with a 3% drop in actual fires.
This may reflect the effect that the COVID-19 pandemic had on life in the UK with lockdowns leading to people spending more time at home.
The 2020 fire service statistics also show there were 221 fire-related deaths in 2020. This is an 11% reduction from the 248 deaths in 2019 and the lowest number on record.
The number of non-fatal injuries from fire (6,567) is also the lowest recorded. It is hard to know whether this is a result of pandemic-related lockdowns. However, these figures suggest that the benefits linked to improved fire safety are now being achieved.
It is of note that 42% of all incidents attended are false fire alarms, compared to the 29% which are actual fires.
This number does not appear to change much over time and is a concern given that it is a drain on Fire and Rescue Service resources.