Fire Safety Science Digital Archive

The annual incidence of fires caused by oil burning appliances of all types, other than blowlamps, has increased from 1 340 (2.2 fires per 1 000 tons kerosine sold in the home market) in 1947 to 3412 (4.1 fires per 1 000 tons kerosine sold) in 1956. In 1956 Fire Brigades in the United Kingdom attended 2 810 fires caused by oil burning appliances other than blowlamps and apparatus used in industrial processes. Of these 1 202 occurred in dwellings, 718 in premises used for agricultural purposes and the rearing of livestock and 301 in garages or parked vehicles. In dwellings most of the fires were due to portable heating appliances. In 18.5 per cent of them the appliances were dropped or overturned (generally overturned) and in 21 per cent the apparatus "overheated" or "flared up". The fires in agricultural premises were mainly caused by chicken brooder lamps and 60 per cent of them were ascribed to "overheating", "flaring-up", leakage or flooding. In about 59 per cent of the fires in vehicles and garages, which were mainly due to heater lamps, the appliances had come into contact with combustible materials (frequently petrol vapour). There were 36 fatal casualties in the fires reported, 32 of them being in dwellings.