Report reveals accidental fires are on the rise in West Fife

Accidental dwelling fires in Cowdenbeath and Lochgelly have increased in the last 12 months.

A report from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service showed a total of 33 incidents in the area between April 2017 and March 2018.

The figure has risen from 27 for the previous time period but thankfully have fallen since 2015-2016 when 36 incidents were recorded.

The most recent report shows that houses were the worst affected, with 19 fires recorded while flats and maisonettes had six.

Tenements, bungalows and sheltered housing also suffered from accidental blazes but no one was seriously injured.

The report, due to go in front of the Cowdenbeath Area Committee next week, found the most common cause was “combustible articles too close to a heat source”.

While 67% of the affected addresses had a detection system in place, 33% had none at the time of the incident. Of those that did, 3% failed to operate. The report noted fire crews carried out 991 visits in the local area as part of the scheme – 10% above their target.

The performance report by Mike Youngson, station manager, added: “The information above describes a trend of reduction in severity.

“This can be attributed to the high number of detection systems being fitted by the SFRS and partners, which give an early warning of fire.

“However, the number of detection systems which failed to operate demonstrates the continued need for the service to maintain its focus on its domestic fire reduction strategy.”