An analysis has been made of reports of fires associated with oil
burning appliances in 1959, to provide some up-to-date information while
awaiting results of a detailed survey which will be available in about
eighteen months' time.
The analysis covers fires which had been reported to the Joint Fire
Research Organization by about mid April 1960; as some reports were still
outstanding at that time, the information is not quite complete for the
whole year, but the emissions are almost certainly of a minor nature,
except possibly in the case of fatal casualties, which sometimes take
longer to report. Nonetheless, the total number of fires, 4,552, was the
highest recorded in any year. The method of approach was chosen to permit
comparison with an earlier analysis on the 1956 figures. Special attention
has been given to the type of feed. Only about one-third of the reports
gave this information, but there is some indication that about two-thirds
of the fires caused by space heaters in dwellings were attributable to wick
feed appliances. If this estimate is correct, it would appear that drip
feed heaters do not cause any more fires in relation to the number at risk
than the wick type. Furthermore, a higher proportion of the fires attributed
to wick heaters caused casualties. This seems to be due to the fact that
wick type heaters are more liable to be overturned or dropped and it is this
group of fires which is most likely to cause casualties.
A comparison has also been made of the fire hazards of space heating
appliances using different fuels in dwellings. This shows that oil and solid
fuel heaters have a much higher incidence rate per million appliances at
risk, than either gas or electric heaters. The high rate for solid fuel may
be at least partly due to the long periods during which these appliances are
at risk.
