Electrical / Appliance Fires Across the West Midlands

A data-led report based on fire incident records, 2020–2024

Source: West Midlands Fire Service · Scope: Fires only

Key Facts & Figures From the 2020-24 data range

At A Glance

7,095

Total electrical / appliance fires
(2020–2024)

3,212

Fires recorded in Birmingham district

15.5%

Average share of all fires that are electrical or appliance in nature

1,720

Injuries linked to electrical / appliance fires

Overview

Electrical / appliance fires continue to account for a significant proportion of fire incidents across the West Midlands, according to incident data recorded by West Midlands Fire Service.

An analysis of fire incidents recorded between 2020 and 2024, limited to fires only (excluding false alarms and road vehicle incidents), shows that electrical and appliance-related fires have remained persistently present, with no sustained downward trend emerging in recent years.

Scale of the Issue

Across the five-year period analysed, 7,095 fires were recorded where an electrical appliance or electrical source of ignition was identified as a contributing factor. This represents an average of approximately 15.5% of all fire incidents attended annually by West Midlands Fire Service.

While overall fire numbers fluctuated year to year, the proportion attributed to electrical appliances remained broadly consistent. After a modest increase between 2020 and 2021, incident numbers declined through 2022 and 2023 before flattening in 2024, suggesting that reductions have not yet translated into long-term improvement.

Geographic Distribution

Electrical / appliance fires were recorded across all districts covered by West Midlands Fire Service. Birmingham accounted for just under half of all incidents over the five-year period, reflecting both population density and the scale of housing stock.

Other districts including Coventry, Sandwell, Dudley, Wolverhampton, Walsall and Solihull each recorded several hundred appliance-related fires over the same period. While most districts experienced a reduction between 2021 and 2023, no district demonstrated a sustained year-on-year decrease through to 2024, indicating a region-wide pattern rather than isolated localised issues.

Property Types Affected

The majority of electrical / appliance fires occurred in dwellings, which accounted for approximately three-quarters of all recorded incidents. However, a meaningful minority occurred in non-domestic settings, including retail premises, entertainment venues, industrial buildings, healthcare facilities and educational settings.

This distribution highlights that electrical / appliance fire risk is not confined to the domestic environment and extends into workplaces and public buildings, where different patterns of equipment use, maintenance responsibility and oversight apply.

Sources of Ignition

When examined by source of ignition group, cooking appliances were the most common category, accounting for around half of all electrical and appliance-related fires recorded over the period analysed. Due to the way incident records classify cooking-related fires, this category may include both electric and non-electric cooking appliances and should not be interpreted as exclusively electrical.

Fires linked to the electricity supply itself — including wiring, cabling and fixed electrical infrastructure — represented approximately one quarter of incidents and showed little variation year to year. Other domestic-style appliances, heating equipment and industrial equipment accounted for the remainder.

When cooking-related incidents are considered separately, a substantial proportion of fires remain associated with non-cooking electrical equipment, highlighting risks linked to power distribution, appliance condition and electrical connections. The persistence of electricity supply-related fires is notable, as these incidents showed no clear downward trend over the five-year period analysed.

This distribution highlights that electrical appliance fire risk is not confined to the domestic environment and extends into workplaces and public buildings, where different patterns of equipment use, maintenance responsibility and oversight apply.

Common Ignition Sources

At a more granular level, the most frequently recorded ignition sources included cooker rings and hot plates, electrical wiring, cabling and plugs, ovens and grills, portable heaters, and tumble dryers and other laundry equipment.

Fires attributed to wiring, cabling and plugs consistently featured among the top ignition sources every year, reinforcing the role of electrical connections and power delivery components in fire risk.

Injuries and Severity

Electrical / appliance fires were also associated with significant injury outcomes. Over the five-year period, these incidents resulted in 1,720 recorded injuries and 26 fatalities.

While injury numbers declined after 2021, the rate of reduction slowed in later years, broadly mirroring the plateau seen in overall incident numbers. This suggests that while outcomes may have improved marginally, the underlying risk profile remains.

Emerging Risks

From April 2024 onward, incident recording introduced a specific field to identify fires involving lithium-ion batteries. Although this field only covers part of the 2024 reporting year, the available data indicates a higher injury rate associated with lithium-ion battery fires.

Between April and December 2024, injuries were recorded in approximately 39% of lithium-ion related fire incidents, compared with around 21% of non-lithium electrical and appliance fires during the same period.

Due to the limited timeframe and the recent introduction of the lithium-ion indicator field, these figures should be interpreted as an early signal rather than a definitive long-term comparison. Lithium-ion incidents are therefore best considered an emerging risk category.

Closing Summary

The data indicates that electrical / appliance fires across the West Midlands are neither rare nor resolved. While some reduction has been achieved since peak years, incident levels have stabilised rather than continued to decline.

The persistence of fires linked to electrical wiring, plugs and power delivery components highlights the importance of ongoing inspection, appropriate installation and safe use practices, particularly in environments where electrical equipment is used intensively or continuously.

Electrical / appliance fires by year

Year Electrical / appliance fires % of all fires
2020 1,494 15.7%
2021 1,510 17.5%
2022 1,427 13.5%
2023 1,330 15.6%
2024 1,334 15.8%
Total 7,095 15.5%*

*mean average

Electrical / appliance fire incidents by year

Electrical / appliance fires by district (2020–2024)

District 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Total
Birmingham 689 703 628 587 605 3,212
Coventry 168 170 161 146 153 798
Sandwell 164 165 154 147 152 782
Dudley 158 161 150 136 136 741
Wolverhampton 150 148 136 124 128 686
Walsall 115 113 109 102 99 538
Solihull 50 50 47 48 43 338

Property Types Affected

Sources of Ignition

Top Categories

Most common ignition sources

Year-by-Year + Total

Totals only (compact)

Category 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Total
Cooking appliances 756 783 728 666 684 3,617
Electricity supply 350 364 349 329 347 1,739
Other domestic-style appliances 173 186 172 163 169 863
Heating equipment 89 88 83 80 78 418
Industrial equipment 52 49 51 46 51 249
Item Total
Cooker – ring / hot plate 1,727
Wiring, cabling, plugs 1,470
Cooker – oven 717
Cooker – grill 341
Heater / fire 283
Tumble dryer 249
Microwave oven 234
Apparatus – batteries, generators 227

Why do plugs, wiring and cabling feature so often?

Fire incident data frequently records “wiring, cabling or plugs” as the ignition source. This does not usually indicate a single catastrophic failure, but rather a range of common electrical fault mechanisms.

1. Undersized or inappropriate cable

Cables that are too small for the current they carry can overheat under normal operation. This may occur due to:

  • Incorrect cable selection

  • Long extension leads causing voltage drop and heat build-up

  • Equipment drawing higher current than expected

Over time, insulation can degrade and ignite.

2. Poor connections and terminations

Loose or poorly made connections increase electrical resistance, which in turn increases heat. Common examples include:

  • Loose plug pins

  • Poorly terminated extension leads

  • Worn socket contacts

Heat generated at connection points can be sufficient to ignite surrounding materials without tripping protective devices.

3. Equipment plugged in that should be hard-wired

Some equipment is designed for fixed installation but is instead connected via plugs or adapters. This can result in:

  • Continuous high load on plug tops

  • Stress on flexible cords

  • Increased risk of overheating at the plug or socket

4. Faulty, incorrect or counterfeit fuses

Incorrect fuse ratings or counterfeit components can fail to disconnect a circuit under fault conditions. In some cases:

  • Fuses are replaced with higher-rated units

  • Non-compliant or poor-quality fuses are used

  • Fuse carriers are damaged or bypassed

This allows dangerous currents to persist.

5. Defective or poor-quality appliances

Low-quality or poorly manufactured appliances may suffer from:

  • Inadequate internal clearances

  • Substandard insulation

  • Poor strain relief on cables

These issues are more likely to result in internal faults or overheating during normal use.

6. Overloaded extension leads and adapters

Trailing sockets and extension leads are frequently overloaded, particularly where:

  • Multiple high-load appliances are connected

  • Leads are coiled or covered, restricting heat dissipation

  • Temporary solutions become permanent installations

This is a recurring feature in both domestic and workplace fires.

7. Mechanical damage and wear

Repeated flexing, crushing, or pulling of cables can damage conductors and insulation. This damage is often hidden and may only become apparent once overheating or arcing occurs.

Injuries and fatalities

Year Injuries Fatalities
2020 391 7
2021 405 6
2022 344 5
2023 296 4
2024 284 4
Total 1,720 26

Recorded injuries from electrical / appliance fires (2020–2024)

Methodology & notes

Definitions used
This analysis is based on fire incident records where the revised incident type is classified as a fire. Electrical or appliance-related fires are defined as incidents where an electrical appliance or electrical source of ignition was recorded as a contributing factor, based on the source of ignition group and associated incident fields.

Exclusions
False alarms, special service calls, and road vehicle incidents have been excluded from this analysis. Fires primarily associated with road vehicles were removed to ensure the focus remains on premises-based electrical and appliance fire risk.

Time period
Data covers the calendar years 2020 to 2024 inclusive. Where year-on-year comparisons are shown, figures reflect recorded incidents within each reporting year.

Lithium-ion battery caveat
A specific field identifying fires involving lithium-ion batteries was introduced partway through 2024. As a result, lithium-ion related figures are not directly comparable with earlier years and are treated separately as an emerging risk indicator rather than a long-term trend.

Injuries and fatalities
Injury and fatality figures reflect recorded outcomes associated with the incidents analysed. Fatalities are presented in tabular form only due to low annual volumes, which limits the value of graphical trend analysis.

Data source
All figures are derived from incident records published by West Midlands Fire Service. Data has been aggregated and presented for analytical and informational purposes only. No personal or identifying information has been used.

Data source

Data analysis prepared for publication.
Source: West Midlands Fire Service incident records .

Prepared by Charlie McCluskey, GetTesting.
First published: 16 January 2026.