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).
Between 1 April 2025 and 31 December 2025, CFRS has seen an increase in fires across Cumbria by tackling 1,130 fires compared to 835 in the same period in 2024 – an increase of 35.3%. The increase was driven by dry weather early in the year and increased wildfires.
Commercial fires have increased by 29.7% in the same comparison period – an extra 30 fires. The Service analysed the causes and established no common trend but continues to work with businesses on local issues. Of all call outs to commercial properties, 6.7% 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 7.3% in accidental primary dwelling fires falling from 150 to 139 fires. In the same period, water rescues have reduced by 3% (33 rescues down to 32) and non-fire related incidents, have increased by 2% (1,289 incidents up to 1,313).
The service is well within its 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 48 seconds, and 13 minutes and 12 seconds respectively.
The Prevention team and Operational crews completed 5,545 Home Fire Safety Visits between 1 April 2025 and 31 December 2025. The Service is within the top 10 services in terms of Home Fire Safety Visits delivered. These visits provide key safety messages to residents in their home to assist in making them 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.
The Commissioner also received an update regarding CFRS expansion of the Fire Cadets programme in Barrow, Carlisle, Millom and Whitehaven. Fire Cadets is a national youth organisation that aims to inspire and empower young people by providing a safe and inclusive space encouraging personal development and community engagement. CFRS secured £62,000 through the National Fire Chiefs Council to expand the programme in Cumbria following a successful programme in Workington over the last 10 years. The funding will support the creation of the four new units and necessary equipment, and the recruitment of lead volunteers including the provision of first aid and safeguarding training.
Commissioner, David Allen, said: “As Commissioner, a key part of my role is to hold the Chief Fire Officer to account on the delivery of the service to the public. One way I do this is through my Public Accountability Conference to be as transparent as possible.
“Of course, it’s always a concern to see fires increase in the county – we saw a very warm, dry period last year so this is a big contribution to this. I’d like to remind anyone coming to Cumbria to camp or explore, that setting fires in wild or hard-to-reach areas is incredibly dangerous and unnecessary. Wildfires spread at an incredible rate, and a small campfire can destroy large areas. Please be sensible.
“Prevention is the key to safety which is why it’s great to see the Service continue to deliver Home Fire Safety Visits. These are provided to our most vulnerable residents to ensure they are as safe as possible, which is what we all want to see. If you know someone that is vulnerable and may benefit from a visit, contact the Service on hart@cumbriafire.gov.uk.
“It was great to hear more about the expansion of the Fire Cadet programme. This initiative is free for young people to attend and helps build skills around teamwork, leadership and personal confidence. It also gets our young people out into their communities making a positive difference from charity events such as carwashes and reduces anti-social behaviour. If you live in Barrow, Millom, Carlisle or Whitehaven and think your child would benefit, please keep an eye out on social media – this is a fantastic opportunity for our young people to meet new friends, learn new skills and they may even end up becoming a firefighter in their community.
“I look forward to continuing to hold the Service to account and 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.”
Lauren Woodward, Assistant Chief Fire Officer with responsibility for Service Delivery at CFRS, said: “We are incredibly proud of the continuous Prevention work our teams carry out across the county to maintain and improve the safety of residents and visitors.
“Our range of interventions compliment the work of our partners as we all aim to make Cumbria a safe place to live and visit.
“The preventative work also assists us in keeping our firefighters as safe as possible as they carry out their duties protecting the public.
“The expansion of the Fire Cadets programme is a clear indication of the commitment of CFRS to the young people and future of Cumbria.
“We have already seen several success stories of previous cadets going on to work for Cumbria Fire & Rescue Service, Cumbria Police, the Armed Forces, and other community-based organisations.
“Fire Cadets is life changing and improves outcomes for individuals and the communities where they live.”
Anyone interested in reading the PAC papers can find them on the Cumbria PFCC website.