The number of fires being reported to emergency services in Tayside has fallen by 11%, according to new Government figures.

The Department for Communities and Local Government said that 3229 fires had been recorded by Tayside Fire and Rescue in the year to September 2005, compared with 3632 during the previous 12 months.

Deaths resulting from fires were down from six to five.

Tayside Fire and Rescue attributed the decrease in total fires to greater sharing of resources, and the integration of fire services into a local community safety partnership.

David Stapley, station manager at Blackness Road fire station in Dundee, said, “We have recently been involved in a country-wide community partnership scheme which requires local fire services to get together with other organisations.

“Part of this community partnership is to try and reduce fires and fire-related deaths in the community through working with the police and local councillors,” he said.

“In the past, Tayside Fire and Rescue would have had its own initiatives, but now we are involved with reducing fires as part of a greater project.

“One example of this is that we now have a data sharing scheme with the likes of the police and housing departments, and the new anti-social behaviour measures have helped us in reducing fires.”

The new figures also show a drop of 14% in the amount of secondary fires, which mean fires outdoors that do not damage property.

Many secondary fires start in refuse, and Tayside Fire and Rescue have targeted these issues as part of a wider crackdown on safety risks in the community.

“Major fires…recently have been caused by setting fire to bins and household waste.

“Our recent projects have helped reduce the risk of these fires in the last six months by 40%.

“Reducing fires is now something that is part of a wider community target as it helps improve other social and economic issues,” he said.