MORE people were killed or injured in fires in the Three Towns last year than any other part of North Ayrshire, the Herald can reveal.

New figures show that fire casualties have increased by 35 per cent across North Ayrshire, with 15 people injured in the Three Towns and Arran last year - the highest number since 2011.

Between Dalry, West Kilbride, Kilbirnie and Beith there were only two casualties for the 2015 period.

The number of accidental fires in Ardrossan, Saltcoats and Stevenston was also at its highest for five years with 40 house blazes occurring last year, compared with 27 the previous year.

Kilwinning fared better with accidental house fires down to just 10 in the 2015/16 period, while Dalry and West Kilbride had just seven.

Kilbirnie and Beith had a combined total of 13 accidental house fires in the same period - also their highest for five years.

Across the whole of North Ayrshire there was a rise of four per cent.

The figures come from the North Ayrshire Performance Report between April 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015 which was presented to North Ayrshire Council at a meeting this week.

Fire chiefs told the council that in the last year across North Ayrshire there were 123 accidental house fires - from which 31 people were hurt, with one fatality across the area in the past year.

Of those 45 per cent were given first aid at the scene with the majority of all fire related injuries being attributed to smoke inhalation

The majority - 58 per cent of those casualties were male and 84 percent of non-fatal fire casualties did not require to be rescued by the Fire and Rescue Service.

Figures show that kitchen fires accounted for the majority - 66 per cent of casualties, whilst 72 per cent of all accidental house fires were caused by cooking.

Whilst 11 per cent of accidental house fires identified alcohol or other substances as a contributory factor.

However it wasn't all bad news for the fire service as figures revealed that deliberate fire setting had fallen by almost eight per cent last year compared with the corresponding three-year average.

The report also revealed that false alarms accounted for almost half - 49 per cent - of all call outs with actual fires accounting for 36 per cent and special services 15 percent.

Local Senior Officer James Scott said: "Whilst the figures themselves show an increase in accidental house fires, the vast majority recorded were small and due to cooking within the kitchen - and most were promptly put out by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service or dealt with by the occupier prior to our arrival. In such cases, we would offer the occupier a Home Fire Safety Visit and fire safety advice.

"Fortunately, fire fatalities in North Ayrshire have been rare. Many of the reported casualties in 2015 were treated for slight smoke inhalation at the scene and did not require to attend hospital. We would always respond to any report of a fire to ensure the safety of our communities.

“It is pleasing to note an increase in smoke detector ownership and an increase in the number of linked alarms which has resulted in earlier warnings to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

“Our aim is, of course, to reduce the number of accidental house fires and fire casualties and we will continue to work with communities and partners across North Ayrshire to ensure their safety.”