FIRE brigade services in Somerset will cost the average council taxpayer £5 extra a year from April after Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue (DSFR) agreed to increase its precept.

The 4.8 per cent increase was the maximum the brigade was allowed, meaning DSFR’s share of council tax bills will reach £109.68.

The authority said the rise was essential to both meet existing demand and to persuade the Government to provide additional, more proportionate funding in future.

The fire service budget for the 2026-27 financial year will top £109 million, covering all its firefighters’ salaries and the running costs of 83 fire stations and 121 fire engines.

A public consultation on DSFR’s budget saw 53 per cent of respondents accept it was reasonable for bills to increase.