Fire safety

Fire safety

Fire related fatalities have declined since 1981 across England. There were 20 fire related casualties in Southampton during 2022/23. Fires can damage property, interrupt businesses and cause inconvenience, with The Association of British Insurers paying out £1 billion in fire related crimes each year. There were 723 fires in Southampton during 2022/23 which is an increase of +11.9% from 2021/22.

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Arson Task Force is a partnership initiative between Hampshire Constabulary and the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service. The task force investigate suspicious fires and undertake reviews of linked occurrences to plan a strategic response. They also investigate non-suspicious fires to identify trends in causes, which feeds back into product recalls, trading standards, manufacturers and other stakeholders, with the aim of making the community safer.

The fire service is currently using Safe & Well visits as a fire prevention service. Visits are prioritised
by age group from 65 years onwards. There were 1,844 Safe & Well visits in Southampton during 2022/23.

A summary report and slide set produced as part of the 2022/23 Strategic Assessment are available to download below. The interactive community safety dashboard can be accessed using the link below. For more information on crime in Southampton, see the Safe City Strategic Assessment page.