Firefighters in Oxfordshire are taking longer to get to fires than they did a year ago, new figures show.

The Fire Brigades Union said the fire service is "in crisis after years of austerity and fragmentation", with fewer firefighters and cuts to key resources.

Home Office data shows the average response time of the Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service for primary fires was 11 minutes and 20 seconds in the year to March.

This was longer than the year before, when it stood at 11 minutes and 10 seconds.

It was also slower than 10 years ago, when the average response time was 10 minutes and 14 seconds.

The data also reveals the total number of incidents attended by the Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service has decreased.

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In the year to March there were 6,454 incidents attended by firefighters in Oxfordshire – down from 6,566 the year before.

The number of incidents attended across England fell by four per cent last year, while 251 fire-related fatalities were recorded, a five per cent decrease on the previous year.

In Oxfordshire there were two fatalities, more than the year before when there was one.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "Throughout the country, our firefighters operate in challenging and high-risk environments, constantly going above and beyond the call of duty to protect our communities.

"Our fire and rescue services are receiving around £2.9 billion in this financial year, and we will continue to work closely with stakeholders across the sector to ensure all services have the resources they need to protect communities at the highest standard."

Rob MacDougall, chief fire officer for Oxfordshire County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service, said: “We have a significant project underway to develop a new operational response model and we are looking to consult with the public on our proposals in spring next year.

“We closely review any incident where somebody dies or is injured in a fire to understand what could have been done to prevent the incident. Fortunately, these tragic events are rare.

“As the most rural county in the southeast, the most comparable measurement of performance is with data for 'predominantly rural services'. The national average for response times in this category has dropped in 2023/24 to 10 minutes 51 seconds (a reduction of 14 seconds), but in Oxfordshire our response times have increased very slightly, by 10 seconds, to 11 minutes 20 seconds.

“It is normal to see these small fluctuations in performance year on year in fire and rescue services across the country, however, we always strive to reduce response times. We are confident our forthcoming project will help achieve this.”