The fire service attended around 154,700 fires in England in the 12-month period from April 2014 to March 2015. This is a 10% decrease from the year before, continuing the downward trend that began in 2003. This is really good news, and equally good news is that the number of deaths caused by fires has also continued to decrease. In 2014-2015 there was a reduction of 6%, from 274 down to 258. This also represents a long-term downward trend − the number of deaths caused by fires this year is now just over one-third of the number of deaths caused by fire in the early 1980s.

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Government figures confirm that there were fewer fires, fewer fatalities and fewer deaths.

How can we ensure this trend continues?

One way is to ensure that we prevent fires and know how to deal with them when they do occur. There are increasingly sophisticated and effective systems available to help to prevent fires spreading and causing damage to property or harm to people. One of the most effective of these is the Plumis Automist system, an alternative to traditional sprinkler systems that can be fitted in domestic or commercial buildings.

What is Automist?

The Automist system works by driving mains water through the nozzle unit and into the air in very fine droplets. This creates a dense fog of water mist, which lowers the temperature, reduces the radiative heat and starves the fire of oxygen. In the event of a chip pan fire, an Automist system is much safer than water sprinklers because the tiny droplets of water evaporate and never touch the pan. BRE offers lots of information on mist systems.

Birmingham Automist installers and installers throughout the country, such as http://www.mainpoint.co.uk/, have installed these systems in a range of buildings, including student accommodation, historically significant buildings and educational institutions. The Automist system is particularly appropriate for listed buildings, as it uses much less water than a conventional sprinkler system and is therefore likely to cause less water damage while effectively suppressing a fire.

These systems help to prevent fires and also to reduce the damage that a fire can do before the emergency services arrive. By installing such systems, home owners and businesses can limit potential damage.