This report to the New Zealand Fire Service Commission shows the geographic distribution of fatal structural fire incidents in New Zealand from July 1996 to June 1998, at census meshblock and territorial authority level.

Those territorial authorities with high fatal fire incident rates are also those with high rates of poverty, poor housing, undereducated populations and sole parenting. This descriptive analysis suggests that in the wider analytical study it may be useful to include specific factors which may indicate fire risk. Analytical epidemiology may help to quantify the relative importance of the different risk and protective factors associated with fatal fire incidents in the domestic location.

Fatal fire incidents do not occur randomly but occur more frequently, per 100,000 private dwellings, in certain geographical areas. Further analysis of geographical data is likely to be of benefit in identifying vulnerable communities, and in identifying the factors associated with fatal fire incidents in different communities.