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Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service attended 1,915 primary fires in its latest reporting year, compared with 1,216 at Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service. Fatalities and non-fatal casualties from primary fires totalled 138 for Dorset and Wiltshire and 121 for Hertfordshire.

Average time from call to first appliance at a dwelling fire is 9:44 in Dorset and Wiltshire and 8:04 in Hertfordshire. Response times differ by several minutes, often reflecting geography — larger rural coverage areas mean longer average travel to incidents. On enforcement activity, Dorset and Wiltshire carried out the larger number of fire safety audits over the year (1,546 vs 504). Satisfactory-outcome rates were 33% for Dorset and Wiltshire and 86% for Hertfordshire, covering audits that closed without requiring informal action, formal notice, or prohibition.