Fires and related incidents in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (2006–2013)

•5,490 declared fire incidents in Dubai in the period 2006–2013.•Majority of fires occurred in motor vehicles, followed by residential homes.•Majority of fire cases occurred within Bur Dubai Police Station’s area of coverage.•Overall, electrical failures were found to be the most likely cause of fire ignition.•58.3% of deliberate fires were in motor vehicles.

Fire incidents in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, reported to the Forensic and Mechanical Engineering section of the Dubai Police Forensic Laboratory during 2006–2013 were reviewed. A detailed examination of more than 5000 incidents, representing a wide range of fire types is presented. Statistical comparisons on the type of incident and the cause and origin of the fire have been evaluated. City areas covered by each police station are also identified. The outcomes of the study indicate that more than one third of the total number of incidents involved motor vehicles and these accounted for more than half of all deliberately set fires in Dubai. A further one third of the incidents reviewed were in residential units. Electrical failures were shown to pose the highest risk of accidental fire and the Bur Dubai Police Station was the busiest in terms of fire investigation caseload.