Fire Fatalities beyond the dwelling of fire origin in Scotland

4 Conclusion

4.1 Phase 1 - IRS

A review was performed, using data supplied by SFRS from the IRS, of 57,325 fatal and non-fatal incidents over the 14-year period from 01/04/2009 to 24/04/2023 for specific building types. Over that period, there were 291 fatalities and the data from these incidents were analysed further to investigate whether any of the fires involving external cladding were also fatal fires. Information was also gathered on other information about all the fires: including fatalities, injuries, property types and the extent of damage.

From the data provided, it can be concluded that (over the 14-year period in Scotland) there were no fatal fires that were recorded by the SFRS as having involved external cladding. BRE Global concluded that it would not be normal practice for the SFRS to determine or provide an opinion on the contribution of any part of the building structure or its contents on reported injuries. In BRE Global’s opinion, it would never be reasonable or appropriate for a SFRS incident commander, entering data on the IRS, to ‘opine’ on likely cause of death at a fatal fire event. The Procurator Fiscal is responsible for considering such matters.

Of the 291 fire fatalities associated with the buildings covered in this study, 166 were not analysed further, as they were in the same dwelling or outside the building or otherwise not applicable. Of the remaining 125 fatalities of interest, those where the fatality was in the room, cabin or compartment of origin, incidents outside the building and some that were not applicable were also excluded from further analysis (20 incidents). This left 105 fatalities, detailed in 99 FI reports, that remained of interest - seven occurred beyond the floor of origin, 82 were on the floor of origin and 16 were not clear but required further investigation.

4.2 Phase 2 - FI reports

Of the 99 FI reports (covering the 105 fatalities) requested during period from 01/04/2009 to 24/04/2023, 75 FI reports (covering 81 Fire fatalities) were considered in detail. The FI reports (covering 24 fatalities) were excluded from the study either because they were not available or because the fatalities were not direct fire fatalities.

It was observed that, for fatal fires, the majority (80%) originated in one of three key areas - the bedroom, kitchen or living room. Most fatalities occurred in the bedroom (42%) with 15% taking place in the hallway inside the flat as people tried to escape the flat and 10% in the bathroom. In BRE Global’s opinion, it is reasonable to speculate that some of the 10% of fatalities, found in the bathroom, may have been attempting to put out flames. There was only one case of a fatality in a flat beyond the flat of fire origin, and there was no evidence in the 81 FI reports that external cladding had contributed to the spread of fire beyond the flat of fire origin.

For the case of the fatality in a flat beyond the flat of fire origin, the SFRS fire Investigators were contacted by BRE Global to discuss the case. In their opinion, “had the deceased remained in their own Flat, for the entire duration of the fire event (without attempting to escape) and instead followed SFRS advice to open windows and ‘stay put’, they believed this individual would likely not have died. The SFRS fire investigators reported there was no failure of compartmentation from the flat of fire origin to the flat in which the fatality occurred at the time the fatality was recovered. BRE Global is not in a position to verify or challenge the observation about compartmentation breach but notes in the FI report which referred to the floor of flat Y collapsing into flat Z directly below it, at some point during firefighting operations.