With much focus on high rise blocks, Adair Lewis studies fire risks in lower rise flats and maisonettes
Flats and maisonettes risk review
ARGE LOSS fires in high rise blocks (10 or more floors) were discussed in FRM March 2014, while blocks with four to nine floors were the subject of an article in July/August 2017. While the emphasis following the Grenfell Tower fire is very much on tall buildings, here the analysis concerns blocks of flats and maisonettes of up to three storeys in height. Many of these buildings may not be recognised
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by passers by as being flats and/or maisonettes, as they are often very similar in design to single family dwellings. In the context of this article, maisonettes are considered to be homes consisting of more than one storey, and normally have a dedicated entrance from the street (although this is not always the case). The buildings in this survey therefore consist of a mixture of flats and maisonettes within the same structure; some homes will have their own entrances from outside, whereas others may not. Although there are many fires in dwellings, thankfully most of them do not result in death, injury or large financial losses for insurers. But even a small fire in any home is a major tragedy, as it will result in the loss of family treasures, photos and memories. In the period from January 2009 to December 2017 there were 910 large loss fires in dwellings, 45 of which were in flats and maisonettes of up to three storeys. Of the latter, 70% were caused accidentally, 23% deliberately and just 6.3% of unknown origin. This low incidence of fires of unknown origin
is interesting, as the proportion of unknown fires in dwellings as a whole is over 22%. Whether this indicates greater diligence in investigating causes of fires in flats and maisonettes is not clear, but is nevertheless an interesting fact. The suggestion that there may be more emphasis in investigating fires
56 JUNE 2018
www.frmjournal.com
in these forms of property is immediately nullified, however, when consideration is given to the time of day that the incidents occurred. The recording of nearly two thirds (63%) of fires in flats/maisonettes of up to three storeys as being at an unknown time of day results in no meaningful conclusions being drawn regarding this issue. No conclusions can be made regarding problems encountered by the fire and rescue services in fighting these 45 large loss fires in low level blocks either, but in this case that is good news, as no problems were recorded. Compared to industrial and commercial
fires the financial losses were modest, and it isn’t perhaps surprising that the average loss per fire (£373,140) is very similar to the average loss for a major fire in a dwelling of any type (£329,662). What is surprising is that nearly 88% of the loss was the building, with 11% due to loss of rent. No figures at all are recorded for the contents of any of the flats/ maisonettes, whereas the contents account, on average, for 3.7% of the total for homes in general.
Minimising the risk
The causes of fires in homes have not been affected by new technology or processes, but remain very much linked to daily household routines. Modern living styles tend to involve the use of various forms of deodorants. The use of diffusion sticks and battery operated aerosols are preferable to mains powered devices, and are infinitely better than candles with open flames. Where the latter are the homeowner’s preference
they should never, ever, be left unattended. It should be remembered that unattended tea lights with
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