Fire Safety Science Digital Archive

A preliminary analysis of reports shows that during 1966 local authority fire brigades attended 142 764 fires in England and Wales, 17 646 in Scotland and 2 827 in Northern Ireland. The number of incidents attended by each brigade is given in Table 1. Three firemen were killed on duty at the scene of one fire. In England and Wales 349 members of the fire brigades were injured at fires; the corresponding figures for Scotland and Northern Ireland were 51 and 3 respectively. Fire brigades assisted in the rescue of 610 persons from hazardous situations at fires in England and Wales, 184 in Scotland and 10 in Northern Ireland. A further 1 151 persons were rescued by other persons in England and Wales; the corresponding figures for Scotland and Northern Ireland were 148 and 49 respectively. Four hundred and twenty-six people in England and Wales escaped by emergency means from fires; there were also 75 such escapers in Scotland and 7 in Northern Ireland. Further details of casualties, rescues and escapes are given in Tables 2 and 3. There were four incidents in which large numbers of people were evacuated. One of these was a railway train (diesel multiple unit) in which also an unknown number jumped from a coach affected by fire. The other incidents occurred in a shop, a hospital and a primary school. These incidents involved approximately 1 000 persons. The analysis is based on reports received up to 2nd March 1967 and the figures are subjeet to revision when reports still outstanding have been received.