Fire Safety Science Digital Archive

The Ministry of Housing and Local Government have been studying general problems arising from the multi-occupation of dwellings, and with 'fire risks' in mind a survey was carried out to try to obtain precise statistical information. A detailed study of fire reports from five local authorities known to have in their areas a high proportion of multiple occupancy dwellings suggests that the risk of a fire occurring is five times as great in these dwellings as in single occupancies. The chance that the fire will result in a non-fatal casualty is more than twice as great for the multiple occupancies as for single occupancies and the chance that it will trap occupants, necessitating rescue or escape is almost seven times greater. The occupant of a multi-occupancy dwelling is more likely to die in a fire than in a single occupancy, is about 4 1/2 times as likely to become a non-fatal casualty and is about 14 times as likely to be placed in a dangerous situation. Oil heaters are the main single cause of fires in multiple occupancies.