House fires down 3.6% to record low, figures show

House fires in Scotland have fallen to a record low, figures show.

Data from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service reveals crews responded to 4,104 house fires in the last year, which was a 3.6% reduction on the previous year and down 26.4% since 2014/15.

However, despite it being the law in Scotland for all households to have interlinked smoke and heat alarms in place, the figures show more than a quarter of homes affected by fire did not have a smoke alarm fitted.

Fire service deputy chief officer Andy Watt said: “We’re pleased to see a further reduction in accidental house fires – but it’s concerning that so many of these incidents occurred in homes without a working smoke alarm fitted.

“Smoke alarms save lives – they provide vital early warning and allow people to act quickly.

“It is essential that households make sure they have a smoke alarm fitted, or check their current alarm is working. It could save a life.”

During 2024-25, the SFRS said firefighters across Scotland attended more than 74,000 emergencies.

That was a reduction of nearly 6,000 from the previous year and included 22,925 fires and 16,209 non-fire incidents such as flooding and road traffic collisions.

More than 55% of all fires were set deliberately, which Mr Watt condemned as “not only reckless, but it can damage communities and endanger lives”.

He said: “Our staff across Scotland work extremely hard to engage with the public to prevent these types of incidents.

“We will keep working with our partners to prevent these unwanted incidents, but everyone has a role to play in preventing deliberate fires.”

There was also a decrease in fire-related deaths from 42 in 2023-24 to 36 last year.

Community safety minister Siobhian Brown said: “I welcome the latest statistics from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service which show fire incidents are at a record low. This is testament to SFRS’s safety and fire prevention work and I am grateful for all they do to keep our communities safe.

“We also know that the number of wildfire incidents has increased this year, reflecting how the emergencies the SFRS responds to have changed significantly over the past decade. That is why it is right that SFRS are undertaking a service delivery review to ensure firefighters and resources are in the right place at the right time.”