Understanding ethnicity and residential fires from the perspective of cultural values and practices: a case study of Leicester, United Kingdom

The Grenfell Tower and Lakanal House fires in London in 2017 and 2009 highlighted how these devasting events mainly affected people from ethnic minorities. While many studies have explored the role of socio-demographic variables in residential fires, ethnicity or race have received only marginal research attention. To redress this imbalance, this paper specifically addresses rate and severity of residential fires in relation to ethnicity. To that end, the study conceptualises ethnicity in a novel way—not as an individual variable but from a community perspective, focusing on cultural norms and practices and how these relate to residential fire incidents. As well as data from the Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service and the National Census, the study draws on data collected in a representative survey of community structure and risk behaviour in Leicestershire. The findings reveal that trust and personal relationships are fundamental to information sharing within this community. This highly personal form of knowledge acquisition is not matched by the fire and rescue service's more anonymous information-driven approach. The findings highlight the need for a more person-centred approach to fire safety to ensure that interventions in more vulnerable neighbourhoods and communities can contribute more effectively to fire safety and reductions in the rate and severity of fires.