ONE of the region’s fire services has backed a call to government to make cash provisions for the UK’s ageing population - prompted by a rise in fire-related deaths among older people.

According to the Local Government Association (LGA), there has been a 22 per cent increase fire-related deaths in the last two years involving people 65 and above while those aged over 80 are identified as being at the greatest risk of dying in a blaze.

The organisation is urging the government not to make any further reductions to fire service funding, and County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service has offered its support.

Chief fire officer for the service, Stuart Errington, said: “There are many factors which increase an individual’s vulnerability to fire and age is certainly one of them.

“An ageing population will undoubtedly require more intervention from fire and rescue services and other key partners going forward and more funding will be needed to provide this critical service to keep these people safe in their homes.”

New Home Office statistics reveal the overall number of fires has fallen steadily but the rate of decline has slowed and certain types of fire have increased.

This includes deliberate primary fires – involving casualties or rescues – which have risen by 14 per cent to 22,032 in 2016/17 (up from 19,369 in 2015/16).

Government figures also show fire service funding, within revenue support grant, has fallen by 38.5 per cent, from £524 million to £322 million, between 2015/16 and 2019/20. With the over-85 population set to “more than double by 2039” and the number of people renting privately forecast to rise, also identified as being linked to increasing residential fires, the LGA has made a plea ahead of the Autumn Budget for funding to take account of these risk factors and related fire prevention work.

Cllr Ian Stephens, of the LGA, said: “These trends present a growing risk factor and cannot be ignored.

“The fire service needs to be funded to risk, not demand, to ensure it can respond to unanticipated local and national events, such as the Grenfell Tower disaster.”

Dave Turton, head of community safety for Cleveland Fire Brigade, said: “We recognise the link between age and vulnerability to death and injury through fire in the home and as a result we have developed our Safe and Well Visit programme alongside our partners in Health, the Local Authorities and Age UK which are predominantly targeted at reducing risks to the over 65s not just fire, but also age related risks such as loneliness, slips trips & falls, alcohol and dementia.”