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Dangerous Chemicals

Volume 32: debated on Friday 19 November 1982

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asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fires involving dangerous chemicals there were in 1981 and the first half of 1982; and if he will list the chemical involved.

The information available for 1981 is given in the following table. It relates to the 140,000 fires attended by local authority fire brigades in the United Kingdom on which detailed reports were submitted; most outdoor fires, fires in derelict buildings and fires not attended by local authority fire brigades are not reported in detail. Information is not yet available for any part of 1982.

Fires involving dangerous substances; by substance*
United Kingdom 1981Number of fires
Liquefied Petroleum gas340
Acetylene108
Mains gas34
Other and unspecified gas34
Petroleum247
Diesel fuel, Paraffin63
Oil and Paint60
Other liquid chemicals65
Mineral-based solids105
Other and unspecified substances45
Total1,131

* Fires in which the dangerous substance affected the development of the fire or restricted the firefighting methods which could be used.