Spatial and temporal analyses of structural fire incidents and their causes: A case of Toronto, Canada

Temporal, spatial, and spatiotemporal analyses of structural fire incidents occurring in Toronto, Ontario, Canada from 2000 to 2006 are carried out. The aim of the study is to gather and analyze data on various causes of fires in order to determine the extent to which existing data can be used as a baseline to improve fire prevention and response activities at local levels. This research uses spatiotemporal techniques to illustrate how the patterns of structural fire incidents in Toronto vary with the time of the day, the day of the week, and the month of the year. The application of these techniques has the potential to help decision makers with proactive preventive measures over time and space in addition to improved resource allocations after an emergency has occurred. It is shown that significant differences exist with respect to fire causation over time and space.