Accidental dwelling fires

Request

1) I would like to request the following information relating to accidental dwelling fires attended within your service area.

Please provide the data for each calendar year:

2023

2024

2025

2026 to date

2) The total number of accidental dwelling/residential fires.

3) The total number of accidental dwelling/residential fires where the source of ignition or cause was recorded as electrical.

4)For electrical accidental dwelling/residential fires, the top ten most common recorded sources of ignition or appliance types involved, together with the number of incidents associated with each category.

5) If appliance-level data is not available, please provide the information at the most detailed level held within your incident recording system.

 

Decision

1) Response as per Q2 below

2) See table below

 

No. of incidents

2023

281

2024

326

2025

326

2026 (Jan-Mar)

66

Grand Total

999

3)

 

 

No. of incidents

2023

180

2024

214

2025

196

2026 (Jan-Mar)

39

Grand Total

629

 NB: this data includes any source of ignition where that source of ignition was powered by electric regardless of what/who caused the fire to start 

4)

 

2023

2024

2025

2026 (Jan-Mar)

Grand Total

Cooking appliance - Cooker inc. oven

51

71

59

16

197

Electricity supply - Wiring, cabling, plus

25

23

30

1

79

Cooking appliance - Microwave oven

16

25

17

4

62

Cooking appliance - Ring/ hot plate (separate appliance)

21

18

12

3

54

Cooking appliance - Grill/toaster

13

12

14

 

39

Other domestic style appliance - Tumble dryer

9

7

9

3

28

Other domestic style appliance - Washing machine

6

12

7

1

26

Other

9

7

7

 

23

Heating equipment - Heater/fire

5

5

4

1

15

Electricity supply - Apparatus - Batteries, generators

5

5

5

 

15

Grand Total

160

185

164

29

538

5) N/a 

Reference number
FOI 16742861
Date request received
03/06/26
Date of decision
17/06/26