THE number of incidents the fire service has responded to are down compared to a year ago.

New statistics from Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) for July to September 2019 show accidental dwelling fires, casualties, unintentional injury and harm, deliberate fire setting and non-domestic fire safety are all down.

Deliberate fires were down 52 per cent compared to the same period in 2018.

Unwanted fire alarms going off – 103 of them over three months – were up 16 per cent compared to a year earlier.

Read more: Whitecrook residents in fear over amount of fires in street

False alarms were more than a third of all incidents, according to a report to West Dunbartonshire’s community planning meeting last week.

Accidental fires were worst in the Clydebank Waterfront ward, while the most common time for such blazes across West Dunbartonshire were either 8pm or 3am.

Non-fire injuries mostly happened around 9am and the majority were cuts, bruising or fractures.