Fatalities rise in Stewartry's non-fire emergencies
Firefighters face increased response demands amid rising incidents
The number of people killed or injured in non-fire incidents across the Stewartry has risen sharply over the past year.
There were five fatalities recorded in 2025/26 as firefighters worked with the Scottish Ambulance Service to attend emergency callouts, such as serious road accidents.
Meanwhile, the number of non-fatal casualties in these incidents almost doubled compared to stats from the previous year.
The figures, compiled in the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service annual performance report for the Stewartry, will be presented to councillors at Stewarty area committee on Wednesday, September 16.
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The report states: “Our attendance to support SAS (Scottish Ambulance Service) can make all the difference in our more remote rural communities.
“Sadly, despite responder’s best efforts, five fatal casualties were recorded in this period.
“At any traumatic event, the incident commander will implement the post incident support procedure. This supports firefighters’ mental health and wellbeing, which is paramount.”
The number of injured people in non-fire incidents rose 13 to 24 last year, while the number of people rescued by firefighters fell slightly, from 16 to 14.
A total of 316 fire service incidents were recorded during 2025/26, which is a 17 percent increase on the 269 recorded the year before. Of these, 87 were fire-related.
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Road traffic collisions in Stewartry saw a significant rise, up from nine to 24 incidents, with four fatalities recorded during the reporting period alongside 15 further non-fatal casualties.
The report states that analysis of incident locations has not identified any specific emerging trends, though casualties were concentrated among the 17-29 and 60-69 age groups.
Building fires also increased, rising from 26 to 41, while outdoor fires rose from 21 to 31.
Deliberate fires in the area rose from 13 to 20, most confined to grassland, woodland and refuse fires, though crews also attended two dwelling fires and two vehicle fires started deliberately.
Accidental house fires rose only slightly, from 11 to 16 incidents, with no casualties reported as a result.
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On a more positive note, crews carried out 130 home fire safety visits in Stewartry during the year, around a fifth of which came through referrals from partner agencies, while the enforcement team completed 178 fire safety audits across the area.
The report also highlights extensive community safety and engagement work carried out throughout the year, including water safety sessions, bonfire and firework safety talks, and fire safety visits to schools, nurseries and community groups across Stewartry, from Kirkcudbright to Dalbeattie and Gatehouse of Fleet.
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