Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (Commissioner), David Allen, received an update on the performance of Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) at his CFRS Public Accountability Conference (PAC) on Wednesday 5 November 2025.
Between 1 April 2025 and 30 September 2025, CFRS has seen an increase in fires across Cumbria by tackling 1,133 fires compared to 871 in the same period in 2024 – an increase of 48.4%. When analysing potential trends or causes for the rise in fires, the dry, hot weather in April and May can be attributed to the rise. Commercial fires have increased by 30.3% between April 2025 and September 2025, compared to the same period in 2024 – an extra 27 fires. The Service analysed the causes and no common trend appeared. Of all call outs to commercial properties, 6.3% were false alarms. The Service works with repeat offenders to raise awareness on safety and identify improvements that could be made to reduce fires. Although overall fires have increased in the county, the service saw a decrease of 5.4% in accidental primary dwelling fires falling from 98 to 93 fires. In the same period, water rescues have reduced by 25.9% (27 rescues down to 20) and non-fire related incidents, have decreased by 10% (890 incidents down to 801).
The service is well within their target of responding to incidents within 10 minutes for the service as a whole and 15 minutes for On-call with the averages sitting at 9 minutes and 43 seconds, and 12 minutes and 59 seconds respectively. High-risk premises, such as hotels, restaurants etc. are a key priority for CFRS. Between April 2025 and September 2025, the protection team delivered 126 high risk audits to businesses across Cumbria – down from 204 in the same period in 2024. The team also delivers against building and licensing regulations in relation to fire safety. The Service set itself the target of 95% compliance, and in the last financial year has achieved figures of 96.6% linked to building and 100% to licensing.
In the last six months, the Prevention team have completed 3,804 Home Fire Safety Visits – slightly under the service-set target of 4,000. However, the Service is still within the top ten services in terms of Home Fire Safety Visits delivered. These visits provide reassurance to residents that their home is as safe as possible in relation to fires. Delivering Home Fire Safety Visits to the county’s most vulnerable is a priority, with 70% of visits being delivered to either elderly or disabled residents, and the remainder to individuals who have characteristics that make them vulnerable to fire.
Commissioner, David Allen, said: “My Public Accountability Conferences provide me with the opportunity to hold the Chief Fire Officer, Paul Hancock, to account on behalf of the public.
“I’m pleased to see that residential fires have reduced – a fire has a huge impact on someone’s life, in the worst-case scenario people lose their lives, so it’s positive to see homes are safer this year.
“However, an increase overall in fires is a worry. Most of which are contributed to warmer, drier weather and wildfires – I always want to remind the public not to set fires in public and rural spaces. One spark can have a devastating effect. CFRS are always there to help but we need to work together so that fire risk is minimal.
“Prevention is key to keeping ourselves and others safe – the Prevention Team have completed 3,804 homes safety visits. Although slightly under the service’s self-imposed target, this is a huge feat. It means 3,804 homes are safer from fires and with the majority being provided to our most vulnerable in society, I’m very happy with that.
“I also received an update on the ongoing efforts to meet the recommendations of His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) report from earlier in the year.
“The Service are making great strides in their progress, focussing on long-term improvements over quick fixes. The Inspectorate were pleased with the improvements that had already been made to the service.
“I want to reassure the public that all the recommendations made were about improvements to processes and back-office functions, no recommendations have been made to the delivery of emergency services. Cumbria has a fantastic Fire and Rescue Service that will always be there when needed in an emergency. That is my and the Chief Fire Officer’s number one priority.
“This is my last Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service PAC of 2025 and I look forward to continuing to hold the Service to account in the new year. I’m keen to evolve the meetings so that they are more accessible to the public so keep an eye on my website and social media for updates.
“If you would like to attend a PAC or would like to raise any concerns you may have around Fire and Rescue services, please contact me at commissioner@cumbria-pcc.gov.uk or on 01768 217734.”
Chief Fire Officer for Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, Paul Hancock, said: “I am very pleased with the continued improvement in performance during the second quarter of 2025-26. This is testament to the continued hard work and commitment of everyone across the service.
“I am also pleased with the progress we have made in addressing the areas for improvement identified in our recent inspection by His Majesty’s Inspectorate for Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS). Once again, this reflects the dedication and professionalism of all those involved. Our progress and improvement build upon the positive findings of the inspection, and whilst we recognise there is still more to do, I am delighted with the direction we are heading and the momentum we are maintaining.
“I would like to thank everyone for their continued efforts and contribution and also extend my thanks to the Commissioner for his ongoing support.”
Anyone interested in reading the PAC papers can find them on the Cumbria PFCC website.