The number of Britons dying in fires in the home has fallen by 60 per cent compared to the 1980s.
Car fires fell from 77,000 in 2001-02 to 17,000 in 2010-2011, while deliberate fires in buildings have more than halved in the period.
Employment in the fire and rescue services has dropped by six per cent while incidents have decreased by 40 per cent.
Source: Matt Ridley, The Times, 4 November 2013.