Number of fire-related fatalities in Great Britain 1981-2022

There were 334 fire-related fatalities in Great Britain during 2021/22, 23 more than in the previous reporting year when there were 311. In the early 2000s, the annual number of fire fatalities was consistently over 500, with numbers gradually falling throughout that decade. In 2011/12 the number of fatalities related to fire fell below 400 for the first time, and has remained below 400 since that point.

Less fatalities but more incidents

Although there has been a net decrease in the number of incidents attended by fire and rescue services in the United Kingdom since 2010/11 the current trend from 2014/15 onwards has been one of increase. In 2018/19 there were over half a million incidents attended in England, over 92 thousand in Scotland and almost 37 thousand in Wales. Northern Ireland had the least number of incidents attended at around 24.6 thousand.

Cuts to budgets and staff numbers

Since peaking at over 55.6 thousand workers in 2010 there has been a marked decline in the number of fire and rescue workers in England, with the service losing over 10 thousand workers by 2019. In a similar time period the expenditure on fire-protection services in the United Kingdom fell from 3.1 billion in 2009/10, to around 3 billion in 2019/20.