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31 March 2005 - The Economic Cost of Fire
in England and Wales
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The economic cost of fire in England and Wales in 2003 was
£7.7billion, reports the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
The main findings of the report and the cost to the economy is
broken down as follows:
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The overall cost of fire to the economy in 2003 was £7.7
billion, ie approximately 0.9% of the national income of England and Wales.
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The average cost of fire in a commercial building is £58,100.
This includes the economic cost of injuries and fatalities.
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The average cost of a domestic fire is £25,300 and is one of the
most expensive incidents that can befall any household.
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A large number of incidents attended by the Fire and Rescue
Service are either false alarms or non-building fires, costing £1.4 billion.
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The estimated cost of arson was £1.9 billion. With the cost of
fire protection included, this figure rises to £2.8 billion.
Certain factors causing the cost of fire increase of £1.5billion
since 2000 are laid out in the report as follows:
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Rising property prices.
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Increased investment by the Government in the Fire and Rescue
Service.
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Rising prosperity, which has increased the estimated cost of
human casualties, even though the number of people injured by fire has been
falling.
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Increases in business investment in fire protection for
buildings.
The full report can be accessed from the Office of the Deputy
Prime Ministers' website by clicking the following:
The Economic Cost of Fire
Article by Alexandra Johnston
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