Cumbria fire prevention policy 'successful'
The number of fires in Cumbria has fallen by 20% in the past year, government figures have shown.
Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service has put the drop down to prevention advice, with more than 35,000 home safety checks carried out since 2008. The Communities and Local Government statistics also showed a 26% reduction in accidental house fires. There was a 33% fall in the number of attended hoax calls, with only 64 in the past year. The free home fire safety checks are designed to make sure people have working smoke detectors, basic fire prevention advice and a plan of how to get out in the event of a fire. Dominic Harrison, Cumbria's chief fire officer, said: "These figures are a testament to the hard work that we carry out throughout the community and the value we place on preventative work."