FOI Request 2083

Subject: Christmas Fires

Status: Complete

Date received: November 2024

Question Asked:

1. Fires Attended on Christmas Day

The number of incidents on Christmas Day (25th December) for each of the past five years (2018 to 2023).
For each relevant report, where possible, please include:
- A brief description of the incident (redacted to remove personal identifying information)
- Any outcomes or actions taken in response to the report
- The type of location involved (e.g., private dwelling, commercial property, outdoor location, etc)
- Please also reference any incidents where keywords such as “turkey” or “Christmas dinner” are mentioned in the incident report.

2. Christmas Tree-Related Incidents

The number of incidents involving fires where a Christmas tree was explicitly mentioned or was a contributing factor for each of the past five years (2018 to 2023…and 2024 if possible)
For each relevant report, where possible, please include:
- A brief description of the incident (redacted to remove personal identifying information)
- Any outcomes or actions taken in response to the report
- A breakdown of these incidents by date
- The type of location involved (e.g., private dwelling, commercial property, outdoor location, etc)

Our Response:

1. Fires Attended on Christmas Day

Incident No.	Date	Incident Type	Property Type	Details
1812007191	25/12/2018 11:58	Primary Fire	Car	Small Fire in engine compartment of vehicle
1812007197	25/12/2018 12:22	Chimney Fire	House - single occupancy	Chimney fire well alight involving semi detached property
1812007254	25/12/2018 15:40	Primary Fire	House - single occupancy	Fire involving cooker and kitchen units
1812007279	25/12/2018 17:23	Primary Fire	House - single occupancy	Fire involving one shower unit in downstairs bathroom
1812007280	25/12/2018 17:24	Primary Fire	House - single occupancy	Small fire under hearth affecting ceiling joist in basement
1812007288	25/12/2018 17:56	Secondary Fire	Wheelie bin	Small fire involving two wheelie bins
1912007828	25/12/2019 10:31	Secondary Fire	Highway / road surface / pavement	Smoke from electrical fault coming from pavement
1912007834	25/12/2019 11:07	Primary Fire	House - single occupancy	Fire in kitchen out on arrival
1912007869	25/12/2019 13:51	Chimney Fire	House - single occupancy	Fire involving chimney
1912007936	25/12/2019 18:54	Secondary Fire	Other outdoor items including roadside furniture	Fire involving advertising sign
1912007937	25/12/2019 18:56	Primary Fire	House - single occupancy	Fire involving fairy lights and Christmas tree
1912007986	25/12/2019 23:42	Secondary Fire	Tree scrub (includes single trees not in garden)	Small camp fire extinguished in wooded area
2012006783	25/12/2020 03:43	Secondary Fire	Large refuse / rubbish container (eg skip)	Fire involving skip
2012006844	25/12/2020 09:27	Secondary Fire	Small refuse / rubbish / recycle container (excluding wheelie bin)	Discarded smoking materials caused fire in bin
2012006894	25/12/2020 13:21	Chimney Fire	House - single occupancy	Fire in chimney grate involving log burner
2012006970	25/12/2020 18:41	Secondary Fire	Loose refuse (incl in garden)	Small fire in the open
2112008482	25/12/2021 12:40	Primary Fire	House - single occupancy	Oven fire in kitchen out on arrival
2112008496	25/12/2021 13:38	Secondary Fire	Loose refuse (incl in garden)	Small fire in the open
2112008544	25/12/2021 16:29	Primary Fire	House - single occupancy	Kitchen fire involving oven
2112008551	25/12/2021 16:57	Chimney Fire	House - single occupancy	Chimney fire involving coal and soot
2112008565	25/12/2021 18:24	Primary Fire	Other private non-residential building	Log burner fire in outdoor bar
2112008590	25/12/2021 21:17	Secondary Fire	Small refuse / rubbish / recycle container (excluding wheelie bin)	Fire involving brazier which was knocked over
2212009951	25/12/2022 14:09	Primary Fire	Purpose Build Flat / Maisonette - multiple occupancy - Up to 3 stories	Fire in kitchen involving dryer
2212009961	25/12/2022 14:45	Primary Fire	House - single occupancy	Grill fire in oven in ground floor kitchen
2312008804	25/12/2023 15:47	Secondary Fire	Wheelie bin	Fire involving wheelie bins and discarded bed frame
2312008811	25/12/2023 15:52	Primary Fire	House - single occupancy	Fire caused by cooking on electrical hob
2312008863	25/12/2023 20:12	Secondary Fire	Wheelie bin	Two wheelie bins ignited deliberately

Data caveat: A search was completed for the keywords “Turkey” and “Christmas Dinner”. These were not recorded on any of the fire incidents which occurred on Christmas Day.

2. Christmas Tree-Related Incidents

Incident No	Date	Incident Type	Property Type	Details
1903001335	06/03/2019 00:30	Primary Fire	House - single occupancy	Deliberate fire involving outbuilding and storage attached to property
1912007937	25/12/2019 18:56	Primary Fire	House - single occupancy	Fire involving fairy lights and Christmas Tree
2012004945	18/12/2020 22:46	Primary Fire	House - single occupancy	Fire involving fairy lights on Christmas Tree in living room
2211002955	07/11/2022 06:44	Primary Fire	House - single occupancy	Sparklers in living room accidentally ignited Christmas Tree

Data caveat: Data provided relates to any fire incident involving a Christmas Tree as the cause of the fire, the item first ignited or the item mainly responsible for the fire spread.

Outcome: Information Provided

FOI responded to within timescales: YES

Further action: NO

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Last updated: Friday, 28 November 2025