Fire crews in Bradford have been praised for smashing targets to cut the number of arson attacks, road accidents and house fires they are called to.

A report to West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority’s community safety committee shows firefighters in the city met or exceeded their targets in every area they were assessed in, including the number of fire-related injuries and deaths, rescues and false alarms.

Work by its arson prevention team and working with partner agencies have been hailed for cutting the number of fires started deliberately in the district ‘significantly’ over the last five years, beating its target from April to September this year by 0.7 per cent.

The number of house fires in Bradford is 16 per cent below target, while the number of fires at non-domestic buildings is 3.9 per cent less than expected.

“The high number of unoccupied buildings in Bradford means this indicator has the potential to be a significant problem, however we are meeting our target and the results are promising given the scale of the challenge in Bradford,” the report says.

“The work carried out by operational crews gathering information on unoccupied and derelict buildings, and additional work with partners to secure premises, has proved successful and we will continue our efforts relating to this.”

The report praised firefighters in Bradford for reducing the number of incidents they are called to in total by 11 per cent less than estimated, saying it was as a result of the “hard work and dedicated activity” of prevention staff and crews. The number of fire related injuries and deaths was an “impressive” 58 per cent less than the target and the document says most injuries sustained were minor.

There was one fire death during the period, in June, when 77-year-old Stella Cavallari died at her semi-detached house on Wheatlands Grove, Heaton, after a fire broke out in her bedroom. Crews also “surpassed performance” by attending 29.7 per cent fewer road traffic collisions than expected and the number of false alarm calls was 15 per cent lower than target.

The report said: “Overall the performance of the Bradford district has been high, particularly in light of the challenging targets that continue to be set and significant changes to the ways we work.

“The current economic climate and reduces resources provide a continuous challenge to all Bradford district staff, however we are not complacent. A great deal of work is being delivered to improve performance across all areas.”

The committee will discuss the report on Friday.