LARGS and the surrounding area had more accidental house fires than any other part of North Ayrshire last year, new figures have revealed.
Statistics presented to the council's fire and police committee show there were 23 accidental blazes in domestic properties in the Largs and North Coast area for the year to March 31.
The next highest number for the year was in the Garnock Valley area, where firefighters responded to 21 similar incidents during the same period.
Largs and the North Coast had two fire casualties during the 12 months covered by the report.
The local area also had the highest number of unintentional injuries in North Ayrshire during the same year, with 23 in Largs, Fairlie, Millport, West Kilbride and Skelmorlie.
Across North Ayrshire as a whole there were 111 dwelling house fires in the 12-month spell beginning on April 1, 2022, and 88 incidents that caused unintentional harm.
According to the report, 44 per cent of the 'unintentional harm' incidents attended by North Ayrshire's firefighters were road collisions - while 47 per cent of the total were classed as 'assisting other agencies'.
Eighteen 'unintential harm' injuries were classed as serious.
At the other end of the scale, Largs and the North Coast had fewer deliberate fire-setting incidents than any other area of North Ayrshire, with 13 - compared to 116 in Saltcoats and Stevenston.
The same report also advised of changes from July 1 under which SFRS crews will no longer respond to automatic fire alarm activations at most premises - unless a fire is confirmed at the location.
The new approach covers all business premises except for those where sleeping accommodation is provided, such as hotels, guest houses and youth hostels.
Addressing the committee, SFRS area commander Ian McMeekin said: "The local area is actively supporting various premises and organisations that have requested further assistance on this matter.
"This strategic approach aims to optimise resource allocation and bolster emergency response efficiency within the SFRS, ensuring a more targeted and effective use of available resources."
He added: "The SFRS relies on comprehensive budget controls to make crucial decisions to inform the efficient use and allocation of resources across the country.
"Recent changes to support budget planning necessities include reviewing its estate and the allocation of high reach vehicles across Scotland, standardising water rescue provision across the country and temporarily removing 10 appliances from an array of two pump stations.
"These measures aim to maintain effective fire and rescue services while optimising resources and managing costs."
Referring to the annual fire incident statistics for North Ayrshire, Mr McMeekin said: "An analysis of operational responses within North Ayrshire for the period 1st April 2022 to 31st March 2023 identified a 2.7 per cent decrease in activity levels across the local authority when compared to the corresponding period in 2021/22.
"A further review of the three years average indicated a 1.9 per cent increase in overall operational activity during a similar timeframe.
"In reviewing operational activity on a broader level, false alarms accounted for 60 per cent of all demand within North Ayrshire, with fire related and special service activity accounting for 24 per cent and 16 per cent respectively."
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