Fires in healthcare facilities pose a significant threat, resulting in loss of life and extensive property damage amounting to millions of pounds. Beyond the immediate impact, these incidents disrupt essential services, affecting thousands of individuals. Categorically, the causes of these fires fall into two main types: confined and unconfined.

A judge has credited pure luck and the swift response of firefighters for preventing a potentially fatal disaster at a block of flats plagued by fire safety deficiencies. In February 2021, a fire at Tower Chambers in Hartlepool necessitated the rescue of seventeen individuals.