London Fire Services responded to 395 incidents last Christmas

The findings, a combination of Home Office data and exclusive Freedom of Information figures acquired by PE, revealed Greater London had the most incidents at 395 – that's 11 times the national average.

Greater Manchester came second, trailing behind with 72, followed by Devon and Somerset with 62.

Staying with London, which saw the most incidents at 395, the data revealed that 186, almost half, were actually false alarms.

‘Due to apparatus’, ‘Good intent’, and ‘Malicious’, each classify as ‘Fire false alarms,’ which, according to the Government, is when Fire and Rescue services attend ‘a location believing there to be a fire incident but, on arrival, discover that no such incident exists or existed’.

Of these, only two were malicious, with the rest being due to errors or people acting with good intentions.

Disregarding the false alarms, 174 were non-fire incidents, 13 in dwellings, and 10 secondary fires.

As Christmas approaches, PE requested further data via a Freedom of Information request.

From the services across the UK that replied, it was revealed that over the past six years, there have been 61 Fire and Rescue callouts involving Christmas trees.

The most were reported in Tyne and Wear with 19, followed by West Yorkshire with 15.

Key examples included candles setting fire to wooden ornaments, then spreading to the Christmas tree, faulty fairy lights, and sparklers igniting the tree.

The Freedom of Information request also revealed that there were 85 Christmas cooking callouts over the past 6 years.

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service received the most call outs with 20, including one such incident where foil was placed into a microwave.

Other cases included Yorkshire pudding blazes, carbon monoxide detectors being activated from microwave burning sticky toffee pudding, and careless handling due to sleep or unconsciousness.

Josh Edwards from PE, who analysed the data and sent the Freedom of Information requests, said it’s vital to be mindful of fires this Christmas.

“If you’re going away for Christmas, or not visiting the office for the festive period, you need to be extra careful when it comes to fire safety,

“My top tips are:

"Unplug the holiday cheer before you go: Festive lights and decorations bring joy to the season, but they can also pose an electrical fire risk if left unattended. These are not part of your daily routine for the rest of the year, making them easy to overlook during quick checks before heading out.

"Switch off to stay safe: Appliances like heaters, ovens, and chargers are essential for convenience and comfort, but they can also be fire hazards when left unattended. Before leaving, take the time to double-check that these devices are turned off or unplugged. Look out for overlooked items like desk heaters or devices left charging overnight.

"A clear cooker is a safer cooker: Kitchen counters and stovetops can often become cluttered with items like dish towels, packaging, or even decorations. These flammable materials can easily catch fire if they’re too close to a heat source. Before heading out, clear the area around the cooker and ensure no stray items are left near burners or ovens.

"The gift of safety: smoke alarms: Smoke alarms are your first line of defence against fire, and ensuring they are in proper working order before you leave is crucial. Test all alarms by pressing their test buttons and replace batteries if needed.”