There were on average nearly two fires a day in Southwark last year (2021), according to figures released by the London Fire Brigade.
A total of 651 fires were recorded by firefighters in the borough in 2021 – equating to 1.8 every day.
This number made Southwark the second worst borough for blazes in the capital, topped only by Newham in east London.
Just under 15,000 fires were reported to the Brigade in London last year of which Southwark made up 4.36%.
The top cause of the 14,929 fires in Southwark were “secondary fires”, which were responsible for around half of the borough’s blazes.
Secondary fires are generally defined as small outdoor fires, not necessarily involving people or property, including burning rubbish or fires in derelict buildings and vehicles.
Cookers and cigarettes were the next most common known causes of fire in Southwark say firefighters, creating 70 and 29 blazes respectively.
“Fires caused by smoking materials including cigarettes, roll-ups, cigars and pipes, result in more deaths than any other type of fire,” said a spokesperson from the London Fire Brigade.
“Discarding cigarettes without ensuring they’re completely extinguished first not only puts yourself at risk but also your family, friends and neighbours,” they added.
Plugs, cabling and plugs followed as the fifth most common cause of fire, causing 22 blazes in the borough last year.
Firefighters did not know what caused around 6% of fires in Southwark in 2021, with 41 of the borough’s fires having an “unknown” cause.
This year 104 fires have so far been reported to the Brigade in Southwark, compared to 2,430 across the capital.
Southwark is currently the third-highest borough for fire numbers in London, surpassed only by Tower Hamlets (first) and Newham (second).
The Brigade released a number of tips on how people can prevent fires and keep safe alongside these figures.
These included: keeping an eye on children and pets in the kitchen, double-checking cookers and hobs are turned off, and having heat alarms fitted in your house.