Fire Safety Science Digital Archive

An analysis has been made of reports of fires in post-war temporary and permanent non-traditional dwellings in 1955. Two hundred and eighty-two temporary dwellings were damaged in 1955. (18.0 damaged dwellings per 10 000 dwellings at risk) Eighty incidents (5.1 damaged dwellings per 10 000 at risk) were caused by faults in electric wire and cable, 58 of these incidents involved fuse boxes or distribution boards. Forty-six incidents (3.0 damaged dwellings per 10 000 at risk) were caused by open fires. There were 14 serious fires in temporary dwellings (0.9 damaged dwellings per 10 000 at risk) and 2 fatal and 26 non-fatal casualties occurred as a result of fires in temporary dwellings. Of the incidents involving 298 permanent non-traditional dwellings, (7.5 damaged dwellings per 10 000 at risk), 83 were caused by open fires, 24 by vadiated heat and sparks from flues, and 24 by faults in electric wire and cable. There were 10 serious fires (0.2 damaged dwellings per 10 000 at risk) in permanent non-traditional dwellings in 1955. Six fatal casualties and 22 non-fatal casualties occurred as a result of fires in permanent non-traditional dwellings.