Comparison of causes, characteristics and consequences of residential fires in social and non-social housing dwellings in New South Wales, Australia

There are over 17,000 residential fire incidents in Australia annually, of which 6,500 occur in New South Wales (NSW). The number of state-provided accommodations for those on low incomes (social housing), is over 437,000 in Australia of which 34% are located in NSW. This study compared causes, characteristics and consequences of residential fires in social and non-social housing in NSW, Australia. This population-based study used linked fire brigade and health service data to identify those who experienced a residential fire incident from 2005 to 2014. Over the study period, 43,707 residential fires were reported, of which 5,073 (11.6%) occurred in social housing properties. Fires in social housing were more likely to occur in apartments (RR 1.85, 95%CI 1.75–1.96), caused by matches and lighters (RR 1.62, 95%CI 1.51–1.74) and smokers’ materials (RR 1.51, 95%CI 1.34 – 1.71). The risk of health service utilisation or hospital admission was 16% (RR 1.16, 95%CI 1.04–1.28) and 25% (RR 1.25, 95%CI 1.02–1.51) higher in social housing respectively. Those aged 25–65 were at 40% (RR 1.40, 95%CI 1.14 – 1.73) higher risk of using residential fire-related health services. Almost 88% of social housing properties did not have a functioning fire detector of any type, and 1.2% were equipped with sprinklers. Overall, the risk of residential fire incidents and associated injuries was higher for residents in social housing. Risk mitigation strategies beyond the current provision of smoke alarms are required to reduce the impact of residential fires in social and non-social housing.