Electrical Fire Safety Week 2026

The UK’s biggest fire safety blackspots 

The message is simple: working smoke alarms save lives. When they don’t work or simply aren't there at all, the risk becomes much higher. In fact, data shows that people living in homes without a working smoke alarm are 11 times more likely to die in a house fire than those with one that works properly¹. This is particularly concerning given that our survey found 43% of Britons admit they do not test their smoke alarms regularly.

More concerning still,  the survey revealed that 4.4 million Brits (5%) admit to not having a smoke alarm present in their home². Further analysis into accidental electrical dwelling fires over the past two years showed that smoke alarms were absent in over 4,400 incidents (19%) - 10% of which resulted in fatalities or casualties³.

This prompted us to examine further where the absence of smoke alarms is most prevalent in accidental electrical dwelling fires across the UK per capita, as well as the regional differences in attitudes towards testing and maintaining them—revealing the nation’s biggest fire-safety “blackspots”.

Norfolk named the UK’s fire safety blackspot for missing smoke alarms

Ranking	Area	Alarm Absent	Per Capita	Per 100,000
1	Norfolk	188	0.02%	20.94
2	Avon	199	0.02%	18.60
3	Cornwall and Isles of Scilly	87	0.02%	15.32
4	Hertfordshire	161	0.01%	13.63
5	Nottinghamshire	98	0.01%	12.79
6	Hampshire and the Isle of Wight	240	0.01%	12.13
7	Greater London	1061	0.01%	12.03
8	Suffolk	80	0.01%	10.55
9	Oxfordshire	66	0.01%	9.19
10	Warwickshire	51	0.01%	8.64
11	Greater Manchester	241	0.01%	8.61
12	South Yorkshire	118	0.01%	8.59
13	Lancashire	127	0.01%	8.52
14	Cleveland	46	0.01%	8.26
15	Leicestershire	80	0.01%	7.66
16	Hereford and Worcester	60	0.01%	7.63
17	Cumbria	38	0.01%	7.63
18	North Yorkshire	87	0.01%	7.55
19	Essex	137	0.01%	7.53
20	Bedfordshire	47	0.01%	7.07
21	East Sussex	57	0.01%	6.79
22	Dorset and Wiltshire	86	0.01%	6.71
23	West Yorkshire	142	0.01%	6.14
24	Devon and Somerset	107	0.01%	6.10
25	Northamptonshire	46	0.01%	6.02
26	Durham	51	0.01%	5.91
27	Northumberland	19	0.01%	5.86
28	West Midlands	161	0.01%	5.53
29	Buckinghamshire	44	0.01%	5.48
30	Derbyshire	56	0.01%	5.34
31	West Sussex	46	0.01%	5.28
32	Surrey	58	0.00%	4.81
33	Cambridgeshire	39	0.00%	4.60
34	Merseyside	64	0.00%	4.52
35	Kent	80	0.00%	4.37
36	Tyne and Wear	41	0.00%	3.60
37	Staffordshire	38	0.00%	3.39
38	Lincolnshire	36	0.00%	3.33
39	Cheshire	31	0.00%	2.94
40	Shropshire	14	0.00%	2.71
41	Humberside	39	0.00%	2.66
42	Gloucestershire	19	0.00%	2.09
43	Berkshire	12	0.00%	1.32

Analysis of accidental electrical dwelling fires from 2023 to the present found that Norfolk poses the greatest fire-safety risk per capita, with smoke alarms absent in 188 homes where fires have broken out in the past two years. Avon ranked second, followed by Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Hertfordshire, and Nottinghamshire, rounding out the top five fire-safety blackspots³.

Often, coastal, affluent or “low-crime” areas, like Norfolk and Avon, have a generally lower perceived risk regarding safety. However, it is these precise beliefs that can create a dangerous false sense of security, causing many to overlook installing smoke alarms, as well as maintaining and testing them. 

Complacency plays a significant role in poor safety habits across the country. Our study found that nearly a third of people (31%) assume their smoke alarm is working without ever checking, while 25% wait until it starts beeping before taking action². Even more concerning, one in ten believes a fire isn’t likely to happen to them, so they don’t check. 

The cities with the best and worst fire safety habits

The survey also looked at where in the UK is best for checking and testing their smoke alarm regularly. Topping the list for best fire safety habits is Southampton, where 35% of the population test their smoke alarms monthly, followed by Norwich (33%), Nottingham (28%), Newcastle (27%), and Leeds (26%)².  

On the other hand, we looked at which cities never test their smoke alarms, putting themselves at greater danger. Sheffield takes the spot for the most careless city, with 14% of residents admitting to never testing their smoke alarms. This is then followed by Liverpool (11%), London (9%), Bristol (8%) and Cardiff (8%)².  

The biggest causes of electrical fires 

Missing or faulty smoke alarms play a significant role in domestic fires, but they’re only part of the problem. A lack of awareness about how electrical fires start and how to prevent them can be just as critical.

Misuse of equipment or appliances accounted for 66% of domestic fires in England in the past two years. This is followed by faulty appliances and leads (23%),  placing articles too close to heat (9%) and faulty fuel supplies (2%). 

White goods and small household appliances are also major contributors to electrical fires. This is because they are used daily, often left plugged in, and frequently positioned near flammable materials. Analysis of domestic appliance fires in the past two years revealed that cookers and ovens account for 45% of fire incidents, followed by grills and toasters (13%), hot plates (10%), and microwave ovens (8%)⁴.

When a fire is identified quickly, it can often be contained—or you can escape before it becomes life-threatening.

This is also why having smoke alarms on every floor of your home matters. If a fire starts in a bedroom without a nearby smoke alarm, those crucial early minutes can be lost.

Accidental electrical domestic appliance fires - the numbers
Rank	Domestic Appliances	%
1	Cooker incl. oven	45%
2	Grill/ Toaster	13%
3	Ring/ hot plate (separate appliance)	10%
4	Microwave oven	8%
5	Washing machine	4%
6	Tumble dryer	4%
7	Dishwasher	3%
8	Fridge/ Freezer	2%
9	Other domestic-style appliance	2%
10	Other cooking appliance	1%
11	Extractor fan	1%
12	TV	1%
13	Electric blanket	1%
14	Iron	1%
15	Washer/ Dryer combined	1%

Who is most at risk

Fire risk doesn’t affect everyone equally. Certain population groups are consistently more vulnerable, either because of age, living situation, or ability to respond quickly in an emergency. 

Children: Children under five are at the greatest risk, accounting for 50% of fire deaths among those aged 16 and under5. This is because younger children are less capable of recognising danger, escaping on their own, or reacting quickly to smoke alarms. Which makes early detection and adult supervision especially critical in homes with children in this age range, yet only 22% of Brits admit to having grown up with clear plans in place in case of a fire.  

People who live alone: Another group at significantly higher risk is people who live alone. Our analysis revealed that in the past two years, over a third (36%) of dwelling fires happened to people in single-occupancy homes. Almost one in six  (14%) of fires in single-occupancy homes end in fatalities. This suggests that lone occupants are disproportionately affected by fires, likely because there’s no one else to notice danger, raise the smoke alarm, or help them escape. This risk is heightened further by the fact that 14% of fires in single-occupancy homes occurred in properties with no smoke alarm present at all, removing what would otherwise be their only early warning system.

Despite the disproportionate risk people living on their own face, 40% of them admit to not testing their smoke alarms regularly, with 22% of them claiming that it simply isn’t a priority. 

Age also plays a role for those who live alone. In the past two years, nearly a fifth of dwelling fires occurred in lone occupancy homes of people over pensionable age3, with one in eight saying they never check their smoke alarm. Mobility issues, slower reaction times, hearing loss, or health conditions place older adults living alone in a particularly vulnerable position, making it harder for them to detect smoke alarms or escape quickly. 

Two simple fire safety habits to incorporate into your everyday routine

Fire safety doesn’t have to mean big changes or complicated rules. Some of the most effective protection comes from small habits that fit naturally into everyday life. 

1. Start by practising fire drills at home: We do them at work, children practice them at school — yet they’re often overlooked at home. Making sure everyone knows how to get out, where to meet, and what not to do (such as hiding or going back for belongings) can make a real difference. Practising, especially with young children, helps build confidence, reduces panic, and lowers the risk of injury or death if a fire does break out.  

Another simple, but helpful, step is,

2. Creating a nightly “close-down” routine:  This could include turning off and unplugging unused appliances, checking that heaters and candles are off, closing internal doors, and making sure smoke alarms are working. 

Giuseppe Capanna, product safety engineer at Electrical Safety First shares advice on how to make this routine stick. 

“You don’t need to create brand-new habits; fire safety works best when it fits into what you already do before bed. One of the easiest ways to do so is through “habit stacking”. Link your fire safety close-down to something you already do. For example, when you lock the front door, check the hob is off, or while the kettle boils, unplug unused appliances.  

“Habit stacking is proven to make behaviour stick. By pairing fire safety with daily rituals, you don’t have to remember; the routine does it for you. It’s the same routine you already have, just safer.”.

Check your batteries. Test your smoke alarms today

Everything comes down to the moment the fire is first detected. The materials, the room, the time of day, none of it matters as much as whether a smoke alarm sounds when it should. 

So take action now!

Test every smoke alarm in your home today. 

Check the batteries, and replace anything that’s not working. 

A chirping smoke alarm isn’t background noise; it’s a warning. 

If it beeps, don’t ignore it. 

Sources mentioned 

1. GOV.UK: Analysis of fires and response times to fires attended by Fire & Rescue services, England, April 2024 - March 2025
2. Internal National Representative Survey on UKs Fire Safety Habits 
3. GOV.UK Dwelling Fires dataset, 2023/24 to present
4. GOV.UK Domestic Appliance Fires 
5. Child action prevention trust
   
   

To identify fire safety blackspots across England, an analysis was conducted using the UK Government Dwelling Fires dataset (2023 to present), focusing on incidents where smoke alarms were absent at the time of the fire. (Data is correct as of 29/01/2026 at 10:00am)

To identify which domestic appliances caused the most fires, an analysis was conducted using the UK Government Domestic Appliance Fires dataset, analysing the past two years, focusing on incidents where smoke alarms were absent at the time of the fire. (Data is correct as of 29/01/2026 at 10:00am)

The datasets were filtered to ensure findings related specifically to accidental electrical fires occurring in domestic dwellings. Filters applied were as follows:

• Fire type: Accidental fires only
• Cause of fire:- Faulty appliances and leads
  - Faulty fuel supplies
  - Misuse of equipment or appliances

- Placing articles too close to the heat

• Ignition source: Electric only
• Location: Domestic homes and dwellings

Fire incident data were analysed on a per-capita basis to identify regions with a disproportionately high number of fires where smoke alarms were not present. Population figures were based on Office for National Statistics (ONS) mid-year population estimates (2023–24). Where historic or combined county areas are used, population totals have been reconstructed by summing their constituent local authorities to align with fire reporting boundaries.

In addition, a nationally representative survey of 2,000 UK adults was conducted by Censuswide to assess public attitudes towards fire safety and smoke alarm testing. The survey explored behaviours such as frequency of smoke alarm checks and attitudes towards why they don’t test them.