Fire incidence in metropolitan areas: A comparative study of Brisbane (Australia) and Cardiff (United Kingdom)

In our previous research we applied spatial statistics and regression analysis to explore the relationships between the types of socio-economic factors that are associated with different fire incident types for an area of South Wales, UK. In this paper, we extend this analysis by using a comparative approach applying regression analysis to examine intra-urban trends in fire incidence using the case studies of Brisbane (Australia) and Cardiff (United Kingdom). Whilst drawing attention to the problems faced by researchers using spatial data in comparative contexts, this has revealed some important similarities and differences in associations, for example in relation to the residential patterns of the two cities which is reflective of their respective wider urban geography. We conclude by demonstrating the differences in trends between Cardiff and Brisbane and by highlighting outcomes from this research that are of relevance to policy makers in urban contexts. The latter could include for example those charged with identifying high risk communities, designing possible intervention strategies such as safety campaigns or with implementing educational programmes.