In 2003/04, in Wales there were 55,556 calls, including false alarms, which dropped to 27,132 in 2014/15. Fires in non-derelict buildings, cars or any blaze involving a casualty fell from 11,802 to 4,560 in the same time. In north, mid and west Wales these “primary fire” calls fell by half while fires around south Wales dropped about two-thirds.
A report into fires across Wales since 2001/02 said fire safety campaigns and work done with people across Wales could be a factor in the fall. Senior fire safety manager Stuart Millington, from North Wales fire service said: “We have a dedicated team of staff whose role is to educate the public and business about how to prevent fires occurring.” “Secondary fires” involving bins, grassland and derelict buildings and roads fell from 23,742 to 6,541 in the same 11-year period. False alarms accounted for more than half of all callouts in 2014/15 with almost 15,500 not requiring any action by firefighters.
