Scottish Lib Dems call for explanation of increased fire and flood callouts

Scottish Liberal Democrats are calling on the Scottish Government to redouble its support for fire and flood safety after the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) released its annual Fire Safety and Organisational Statistics for 2025-26.

Among the headline figures, SFRS attended:

• 78,565 total incidents, a 5.3% year-on-year increase
• 25,423 fires, a 10.9% increase
• 1,851 flooding incidents, a 12.9% increase

North East Scotland MSP Yi-pei Chou Turvey said:

"The Scottish Government needs to account for a rise in the number of fires and floods attended by SFRS.

"The service is at the frontline of two distinct crises: poor-quality and undermaintained housing on the one hand, and fires and floods driven by the climate crisis on the other.

"The Scottish Government's number one responsibility is to keep us safe - not just by funding agencies like SFRS, but by ensuring everyone has a fire-safe home and that Scotland's infrastructure is prepared to cope with the damage wrought by extreme weather.

"Behind these figures are devastation, terror and tragedy. We cannot write them off as mere statistics when lives are being lost and homes destroyed."