In this paper, we examine fire prevention planning in terms of analysis of population trends with regard to the area covered by Merseyside fire and rescue service in the North West of England. In particular, we present an examination of the potential impact of changing population characteristics previously identified as being associated with fire risk such as old age, living alone, behaviours and lifestyles such as smoking and alcohol consumption, and health and social care provision for the most vulnerable groups upon fire prevention strategies. Overall, the examination of the likely impact of population trends on fire risk identified the following impacts for the area covered for the fire and rescue service concerned: a likely increase in fire risk associated with the elderly and those with a long-term health problem or disability, and a likely decrease in fire risk associated with smoking and alcohol consumption, apart from alcohol consumption by the elderly. Based upon this analysis fire prevention for this area should increasingly target the elderly, the disabled and those with mental health and neurological conditions. This would be relevant to other fire and rescue services worldwide that have similar population trends that could impact fire risks, and also provide guidance for appropriate actions with regard to fire prevention.

Summary In this paper, we examine unintentional dwelling fire injuries during the period 2006 to 2016 in Merseyside, in the North West of England. Overall, it appeared that deprivation was a significant factor in unintentional fire injuries over the period studied, with 52% of fire injuries occurring in areas with the highest level of deprivation. Males and females appeared equally likely to be injured in an unintentional dwelling fire, however, males were twice as likely to be injured in an alcohol and drug‐related fire incident, or injured attempting to fight a dwelling fire than females. In terms of the age profile of those injured in unintentional dwelling fires, the group with the highest level of fire injuries was the elderly (29% of injuries), followed by those aged 25 to 45 (28% of injuries), then those aged 45 to 65 (23% of injuries), then young persons (aged up to 24) (20% of injuries).

In this article, we examine fire prevention targeting by Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service in the North West of England. We examine social group, spatial, and lifestyle and behaviours targeting, and the targeted use of fire prevention approaches including home fire safety checks, community, and educational engagement events, websites, social media, and home fire safety self-assessment software tools. In particular, we examine the fire prevention approaches used by Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, the approaches that were used to identify those most at risk of accidental dwelling fire incidents, injuries, and fatalities, and the strategies adopted for the targeting of fire prevention resources.

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The association between deprivation and accidental dwelling fire injuries was examined in Merseyside which has a high proportion of deprived areas. For the years 2006 to 2016, over half of the accidental dwelling fire injuries in Merseyside occurred in deprived areas, and almost three quarters of alcohol and drug related accidental dwelling fire injuries occurred in such areas. In particular, we examine the relationship between the established accidental dwelling fire injury risk factors of old age, disability and alcohol and drug consumption and the level of deprivation. There were strong correlations between deprivation and the overall number of fire injuries, and between deprivation and fire injuries relating to alcohol/drug consumption, disability/mobility related fire injuries, and fire injuries sustained by those aged 65+.