Key statistics

* The United Kingdom Fire and Rescue Services attended 856,500 fire and false

alarm incidents in the 12 months to 30 June 2006 - a 1 per cent fall on the

previous 12 months.

* There were 467 fire deaths in this period - down 5 per cent on the previous

12 months. Dwelling fire deaths fell by 10 per cent to 342. However, all

fire death figures for 2006 should be treated with caution as they are still

provisional and subject to change.

* Primary fires fell by 6 per cent to 163,500. This is the lowest total since

1985. Within this dwelling fires hit a 24 year low (56,800, down 3 per cent),

fires in other buildings - including workplaces and areas where people gather

- are at their lowest since 1963 (down 8 per cent to 33,500) and road vehicle

fires again fell (by 8 per cent to 62,200) to their lowest total since 1990.

* Secondary fires rose by 8 per cent to 252,400 although the figures for

the first 6 months of 2006 only show a rise of less than 1 per cent on the

corresponding first half of 2005.

* Attendances at false alarms dropped by 3 per cent to 429,700. Within this

there was a 17 per cent fall in malicious false alarms and 3 per cent decrease

in false alarms due to apparatus.

The Fire Statistics Monitor is available on the Communities and Local

Government website. Also on the website is the latest annual statistical

bulletin, Fire Statistics United Kingdom, 2005, which contains trends and

analysis for the years 1995-2005.