A total of 40 incidents were reported in the six month period to September 30 this year, down by six on the same period last year.
Hamish McGhie, local senior fire officer for Dumfries and Galloway, who presented a report to councillors this week, welcomed the fall but said the service was not complacent and remained committed to reducing the number of incidents even further.
He said: “It is pleasing to see the decline of accidental dwelling fires and other incidents, but we continue to look at the intelligence and it is clear these are most commonly linked to cooking.
“One of the ways we do this is through our free home safety visits where crews and our partners engage with the most vulnerable in our communities to ensure we provide the most appropriate support to reduce the risk of unintentional harm in the home.
He added: “Partnership prevention work is key to saving lives and protecting properties so we will continue to engage with communities, particularly the vulnerable and elderly, to ensure risk is reduced and people can live safely.
“We’re here to help everyone stay safe, but we’re particularly keen to support the most vulnerable and elderly within our communities.
“That’s why we appeal to everyone to check if their elderly relatives, friends or neighbours are in need of this vital support – and to contact us directly.”
There was also one fire-related casualty and four fatalities within the first six months of the year.
Officer McGhie went on: “Any death is one too many and preventing fatalities or serious injury is extremely important for us.
“When such tragedies occur we will work closely with our emergency service colleagues and provide them with any assistance that we can.”
