Londoners are being warned that delays in calling 999 after a fire breaks out could cost them their lives.
Statistics published today by the London Fire Brigade show that 70 per cent of fire deaths occurred in incidents where the first call for help took place 10 or more minutes after the fire had started.
Today’s figures also show that nearly half of those seriously injured by fire had not contacted the Brigade soon enough.
Householders can increase their chances of noticing a fire by ensuring they have a working fire alarm fitted on each level of their home.
According to the LFB’s statistics, 999 calls are answered in an average of 1 and a half seconds, three times faster than in 2007, and firefighters are now deploying in 1 minute 18 seconds – almost a minute faster than five years ago.
The figures have been published as part of a new initiative to give Londoners greater access to Brigade statistics and help them understand how it responds to fires.
Fire Commissioner Ron Dobson said: “During our public consultation in 2013 people were interested in seeing more facts and figures. The Fire Facts reports aim to help Londoners understand how we are actually responding to fires and unearth telling statistics on human behaviour and fire trends.
“This first report shows that whilst Londoners are safer than ever from the dangerous effects of fire people are still dying in fires without any fire detection in their homes. We should all have a working smoke alarm on every level of our homes.”
