A fire-safety expert is leading a study into fire risks facing historic buildings.
Henry Landis believes listed properties are up to three times more likely to be affected by fire, and hopes his research will save more heritage from being lost.
The announcement comes in the wake of a fire that ravaged Notre Dame cathedral in Paris this week, and the revelation that devastated Victoria's nightclub in Glasgow was 'probably' caused by an electrical fault.
Read more: Electric short-circuit 'most likely' cause of Notre Dame fire
The retired firefighter will examine fire incidents at 375,000 heritage buildings over the past 12 years.
He said: "We’ve all seen what happened at Notre Dame in Paris, and the emotion it has generated not just in France but around the world.
"People felt the same about the Art School fire in Glasgow, and there are many other examples up and down the land when historic properties are burned.
"These are more than just buildings; they are a tangible connection to our past and those who have gone before us.
Read more: Glasgow offers help and expertise to the reconstruction of Notre Dame
He added: "We need to do more to take care of our heritage, and my research aims to change the way we think about fire risk in old buildings.”
Henry served with Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service for 30 years before taking up a post-graduate degree in Fire Risk Engineering at GCU.
He aims to merge Ordnance Survey buildings data representing every building listed by Historic England, with records of about 600,000 incidents attended by fire and rescue services annually back to 2009.
The research is expected to take several years to complete, but Henry hopes it will provide evidence necessary to tighten fire regulations.
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He said: “I am never going to be able to pinpoint which buildings are going to burn down next.
"But I would hope to spot patterns – like the number of fire incidents affecting historic buildings which are being renovated, like Notre Dame Cathedral.
"That appears to be a common theme, but looking through news reports is currently of more use to researchers than the official fire data.
"If my study can help change things, then I will have made a real difference now, and also for people who will continue to enjoy these buildings in the future.”
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