Since 2016, 1,112 home fires have been recorded around the Maltese islands, the police said.

The most common causes of such fires are chip pan fryers (82 fires) and electrical meter fires (109 fires). This not taking into account the fires described generically as ‘apartment fires’ (114) and ‘house fires’ (220).

The five localities that have seen the most fires over the past six years are: Sliema: 50, Qormi: 40, Birkirkara: 40, Hamrun: 36, and Gzira: 33.

In 2021, there have been a total of 138 fires across the islands so far, the police said.

2019 saw the highest amount of fires in the home (230), followed by 2020: 214, 2017: 180, 2016: 178, 2018: 172.

Fires in the home have resulted in fatalities. Most recently, tragedy struck as 81-year-old Lorenza Busuttil passed away in a fire earlier this month in her residence on Betta Street, Tarxien.