Construction sites change as work progresses, and fire precautions must keep pace with the layout, materials and activities on site. The dedicated official construction-site series counts incidents at properties under construction, renovation or conversion. This guide presents that England dataset alongside HSE guidance on preventing fires and preparing for an emergency.
Reviewed 15 October 2026. The latest published construction-site fire series covers England through 2023/24 and was published on 24 October 2024. These figures are older than the general 2025/26 fire statistics.
Key facts and figures
- 318 primary fires occurred on construction sites in England in 2023/24, the latest year in the dedicated published series.
- 113 construction-site fires were recorded under the deliberate-cause category in England in 2023/24.
- 39 construction-site fires involved faulty fuel supplies in England in 2023/24.
- 26 construction-site fires involved careless handling of fire or hot substances in England in 2023/24.
- 17 construction-site fires involved faulty appliances and leads in England in 2023/24.
Construction site fire risk: dynamic, dangerous and demanding
The Home Office construction-site statistics recorded 318 primary fires in England in 2023/24. The dataset defines construction sites as properties still under construction and not habitable, including properties being renovated or converted and those whose occupiers have moved out temporarily.
As HSE’s Fire safety in construction guidance explains, managing risk starts during design and continues through construction. Layouts and access routes can change, several contractors may share the site, and permanent fire protection may be incomplete. Hot work, temporary electrical installations and combustible materials all need suitable controls.
Construction site fire causes
The published cause-of-fire table, FIRE_A35, provides the construction-specific figures in this guide. For 2023/24, it records 113 fires under deliberate cause, 39 involving faulty fuel supplies and 26 involving careless handling of fire or hot substances. Practical controls should reflect the activities and conditions on the particular site:
- Deliberate fire-setting — control access, secure the site and avoid leaving combustible materials or waste readily accessible.
- Hot work — welding, cutting, grinding and similar processes can create sparks and hot material. Assess the work, protect nearby combustibles and arrange suitable checks and fire watches.
- Temporary electrical installations — select suitable equipment and keep installations, appliances and leads in safe condition.
- Fuel and materials storage — manage fuel supplies and keep flammable liquids, gases, packaging and other combustible materials appropriately stored.
- Smoking — manage smoking and the disposal of smoking materials through the site’s fire-safety arrangements.
Legal duties and practical controls
HSE’s construction fire guidance explains the responsibilities of those commissioning, designing and carrying out construction work. The applicable legislation depends on the location and work involved. Key duties and controls include:
- General fire safety — in England and Wales, the responsible person under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 must assess fire risk and implement appropriate precautions. Scotland has a separate fire-safety regime.
- Construction planning — the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 require arrangements for managing construction risks in Great Britain.
- Electrical safety — the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 set duties concerning electrical systems and work activities in Great Britain.
- Hot-work controls — use suitable arrangements for authorising and controlling hazardous work, including a permit-to-work system where appropriate to the risk.
The CDM fire safety obligation
The construction phase plan should set out the arrangements for managing significant fire risks before work begins. HSE guidance describes the need to consider prevention, escape routes, warning systems and firefighting provisions as the site changes.
Assign responsibilities clearly and make sure workers and contractors understand the alarm, evacuation and emergency arrangements. People nominated to assist with fire safety should be competent for their duties. Review precautions as the work progresses and update the fire risk assessment when circumstances change.
Deliberate fires on construction sites
The published table records 113 fires under deliberate cause out of 318 primary construction-site fires in England in 2023/24, or 35.5%. Deliberate was the largest single cause category in that table. These are incident classifications, rather than criminal convictions or a measure of the risk at an individual site.
The source warns that some incidents have inconsistent cause and motive answers, so its deliberate-cause count can differ from totals grouped by motive elsewhere. The figures here follow the published FIRE_A35 table. HSE recommends site security and control of combustible materials to help prevent unauthorised access and deliberate ignition.
| Measure (England, 2023/24) | Figure |
|---|---|
| Primary fires on construction sites | 318 |
| Fires recorded under deliberate cause | 113 |
| Fires involving faulty fuel supplies | 39 |
| Fires involving careless handling of fire or hot substances | 26 |
| Fires involving faulty appliances and leads | 17 |
The cause rows show selected categories and do not add up to the total. The dataset covers records received by 15 May 2024 and was published on 24 October 2024.
Make sure your site has trained fire marshals in place.
Explore the Fire Warden / Fire Marshal Course →Sources & references
- Home Office — Primary fires on construction sites, England, through 2023/24 (published October 2024)
- Home Office — FIRE_A35 construction-site data and definitions, 2014/15–2023/24
- HSE — Fire safety in construction, HSG168, third edition (2022)
- HSE — Construction fire safety: duties, hazards and emergency arrangements
- HSE — Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015
- HSE — Electrical safety at work
Mark writes about workplace fire safety, compliance and online training for Fire Marshal Training, part of Online CPD Academy.