Behavioural trends and accidental dwelling fires

Changes in household domestic behaviours over time may have associated changes in accidental dwelling fire incidence that can impact fire and rescue services. In this article the effects of changing household domestic behaviours during the period 2013/14 to 2023/24 on accidental dwelling fires in England is examined. Overall, changes in cooking habits in England including more microwave and air fryer use appear to have contributed to a decrease in cooking fires over the period, which was the largest element in the overall reduction of accidental dwelling fire incidence and injury. A reduction in smoking rates in England may have contributed to a reduction in accidental dwelling fire fatalities. Although smoking related accidental dwelling fires constituted a small proportion of the overall numbers of incidents, they appeared to be the largest cause of accidental dwelling fire fatality in England.