FIRES claimed seven lives and led to nearly 100 casualties in Hampshire over the last year, figures reveal.

The Fire Brigades Union said an increase in deaths from fires across the UK showed that services are “wholly insufficient”.

It comes after a severe fire took place in the city earlier this year.

This involved a huge fire that broke out at a building in Southampton City Centre in March, with the blaze so severe that buildings and businesses in the area were evacuated.

The latest Home Office statistics show seven people died at home in incidents attended by the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, in the year to June.

Across England, 268 fatalities were recorded over the period, up from 253 the previous year.

One woman died at a Romsey house fire in February this year, which was treated as “unexplained”.

A total of 20 firefighters rushed to the house in Jacobs Close, Romsey, where they found the body of a woman, in her 50s, inside the address.

The FBU has now called for greater funding in fire and rescue services to tackle the “shocking” rise.

Matt Wrack, the union’s general secretary, said: “Firefighter numbers have been slashed over the last decade, while the country’s fire safety infrastructure has been dismantled.

“Our entire system of fire safety is wholly insufficient and for far too long politicians have treated fire safety issues with utter indifference.

“We need to completely rebuild our fire and rescue service – and the Fire Brigades Union is demanding this starts immediately.”

There were also 97 fire-related casualties recorded in Hampshire, most commonly occurring in homes.

Of these, nine were severe, while a further 51 required hospital treatment for minor injuries.

The figures also show that the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service carried out 6,085 home fire safety checks, most commonly for elderly and disabled residents in 2018 to 19.

Nationwide, the number of fire and rescue incidents was down 20 percent compared with a decade before, and there were 27 percent fewer fires.

But incidents have increased recently, which the Home Office attributes to last year’s hot summer.

Warm, dry temperatures drove an increase in secondary fires, which are usually outdoors and less serious than building fires.

Fire and rescue services in England will receive around £2.3 billion for the current financial year.