FIRE LOSSES OF £2.4m

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29908, 23 August 1962, Page 8

FIRE LOSSES OF £2.4m

Payments Last Year Payments for losses by fire made by insurance companies in 1961 amounted to £2.4m, of which £l.Bm was paid for fires which occurred during 1961, says a report by the Deputy-Government Statistician (Mr W. A. Butterworth). There was a markdd con, centration of fire loss payments during the winter, and 35 per cent, of the total payments were made in the September quarter, he says. During 1961 28,088 payments were made for loss by fire to a value of £1,798,000. From April 1, 1961, to March 31, 1962, 28,462 payments were made to a value of £2,095,000. The greatest number of fires occurred in urban fire districts, which accounted for 82 per cent, of the fire payments.

Electricity was tihe major cause of fires, accounting for 7787 payments totalling £300.000. The 250 gas fires cost insurance payments of £7OOO.

Fires from fireplaces and stoves caused the highest number of payments, but the cost, £149,000, was £151,000 less than the cost of electricity fires. The 512 chimney fires cost £149.000, and fires caused by kerosene heaters cost £17,000.