Gas explosions make national headlines every time one destroys a house, but the underlying numbers are widely misquoted — usually because two entirely separate official series get merged into one. This page keeps them apart and clearly labelled. The larger series is the Home Office fire-service count of "fires involving gas and an explosion" in England, which runs at a few hundred a year. The much smaller series is the Health and Safety Executive's RIDGAS count of RIDDOR-reportable flammable-gas injury incidents in Great Britain, which runs at a few dozen a year. Layered on top are the Gas Safe Register's annual inspection findings on unsafe appliances and dangerous fittings. Every figure below is linked to its source at the end of the page.
One scoping note up front: this page covers flammable-gas explosions, gas-leak fires and unsafe gas appliance findings only. Carbon monoxide — deaths, non-fatal poisonings and symptoms — is a different hazard entirely and lives on our carbon monoxide poisoning statistics page, so we quote only the explosion, fire and unburnt-gas figures here.
Key facts and figures
- 270 fires involving gas and an explosion were attended by fire and rescue services in England in 2021/22 — down from a peak of 361 in 2018/19 (Home Office, Table A22).
- 2,287 gas-and-explosion fires were recorded across the seven years 2015/16 to 2021/22 in England, causing 49 fire-related fatalities and 883 casualties (Home Office).
- 21 RIDDOR-reportable explosion or fire flammable-gas incidents were reported to the HSE in Great Britain in 2024/25 (provisional), up from 17 in 2023/24 (HSE RIDGAS).
- 11 deaths in total resulted from HSE-reported explosion or fire flammable-gas incidents over the five years 2020/21 to 2024/25 provisional (HSE RIDGAS).
- 2,010 notifications of dangerous gas fittings were made to the HSE in Great Britain in 2024/25 (provisional), down from a recent high of 2,603 in 2021/22 (HSE RIDGAS).
- 1,222 of those 2,010 dangerous-fitting notifications were gas leaks — the single biggest fault type in 2024/25 provisional (HSE RIDGAS).
- 7,116 defects classed as At Risk or Immediately Dangerous were found by Gas Safe Register inspectors in 2023/24 (Gas Safe Register).
- 28,902 registered businesses were inspected in Gas Safe Register’s 2023/24 report; inspection findings are not a representative survey of all UK homes.
Checked on 15 October 2026. HSE’s latest RIDGAS table covers 2024/25 provisionally. The separate fire-service extracts end in 2021/22 and calendar 2021, so they describe historical periods, not current annual gas-explosion totals. Gas Safe figures below are explicitly dated to its 2023/24 report.
How common are gas explosions in the UK?
The Home Office’s historical extract records 270 fires involving gas and an explosion in England in 2021/22, the lowest of the seven years shown. There were 334 in 2015/16 and a peak of 361 in 2018/19. The seven-year total was 2,287, averaging about 327 a year.
The separate calendar-year extract records 309 in 2010, 365 in 2018 and 268 in 2021. Financial years and calendar years should not be mixed in a single trend. Neither extract establishes the number of gas explosions in 2025 or 2026.
These tables concern attended fires involving gas and an explosion. They are not a census of every gas leak or every explosion without fire. HSE’s injury-reporting series has different coverage, thresholds and geography, so its smaller totals should be compared separately.
How many people die from gas explosions in the UK each year?
Over the seven years 2015/16 to 2021/22, gas-and-explosion fires in England caused 49 fire-related fatalities and 883 non-fatal casualties in total, according to the Home Office's Table A22. That works out at an average of around seven deaths a year, though the annual figure moves about a good deal from year to year given how few incidents produce a fatality.
Within that window, the peak years for gas-explosion fire deaths were 2019/20, with 12 fatalities, and 2015/16, with 9. The lowest were 2020/21 and 2021/22, with 4 fire-related deaths each. Because the numbers are small, a single multi-fatality incident can swing a year's total sharply, which is exactly why the seven-year total is the more stable figure to quote.
A word of caution on a widely-repeated statistic here. The often-cited "11 deaths over five years" figure is not from the Home Office fire count — it comes from the HSE's much smaller RIDGAS injury-incident series (covered next), and refers to the five years 2020/21 to 2024/25 provisional. The two death counts measure different populations of incident and should never be added together or presented as one trend.
What do the HSE's RIDDOR gas figures show?
HSE’s latest RIDGAS table records 21 explosion/fire incidents resulting in reportable injury in Great Britain in 2024/25, provisionally, compared with a finalised 17 in 2023/24. These incidents fall under the flammable-gas reporting duty and are different from the England fire-service extract.
The explosion/fire category caused one death and 22 non-fatal injuries in 2024/25 provisionally. Its five-year death total for 2020/21–2024/25 was 11. The workbook was published on 20 November 2025; latest-year figures remain provisional in that release.
RIDGAS also includes CO poisoning and other exposure, such as unburnt gas. The figures here distinguish explosion/fire from those exposure categories. Dangerous-fitting notifications are accepted reports, with possible under-reporting; HSE cautions that their detailed circumstances are not all independently confirmed.
The table compares the different official measures with their own reporting periods.
| Measure | Latest figure | Coverage & source |
|---|---|---|
| Fires involving gas and an explosion (England) | 270 | 2021/22; peak 361 in 2018/19 — Home Office, Table A22 (IRS) |
| Gas-and-explosion fires, seven-year total (England) | 2,287 | 2015/16–2021/22 — Home Office, Table A22 |
| Fire-related deaths from those fires (England) | 49 | 2015/16–2021/22 total — Home Office, Table A22 |
| RIDDOR explosion/fire flammable-gas incidents (GB) | 21 | 2024/25 provisional; 17 in 2023/24 — HSE RIDGAS, Table 1 |
| Deaths from those RIDDOR incidents (GB) | 11 | 2020/21–2024/25p total — HSE RIDGAS, Table 1 |
| Dangerous gas fitting notifications (GB) | 2,010 | 2024/25 provisional; 2,603 in 2021/22 — HSE RIDGAS, Table 2 |
What is the most common cause of a domestic gas explosion?
“Other accidental” was the largest cause category in the historical England gas-and-explosion fire extract, with 76–115 incidents a year in 2015/16–2021/22. Deliberate fires numbered 45–83. These broad categories do not identify one mechanical cause of all domestic gas explosions.
“Faulty fuel supplies” accounted for 39–55 such fires a year in that period. This category concerns the recorded cause of attended fires; it should not be treated as a national count of gas leaks or as evidence that every leak develops into a fire.
Separately, HSE recorded 1,222 gas-leak notifications among 2,010 dangerous-fitting notifications in 2024/25 provisionally. Pipework accounted for 375 and boilers for 288 gas-leak notifications. These are reported dangerous fittings, not incidents that necessarily caused an explosion.
How many UK homes have an unsafe gas appliance?
Inspection findings describe the work examined by Gas Safe Register. They do not establish how many homes across the UK have an unsafe appliance unless the inspection sample and extrapolation method support that estimate. The figures below are therefore presented as operational inspection results.
The 2023/24 At a Glance report’s service-level table records 60,174 inspections and 28,902 registered businesses inspected. Its top three inspection issues concerned flue construction, safety on boiler installations and the installation of fires.
The report records 7,116 gas-work defects classed as At Risk or Immediately Dangerous. It separately records 924 defects attributed to unregistered fitters across At Risk, Immediately Dangerous and Not to Current Standards categories. The 924 cannot be treated as a directly comparable subset of the narrower 7,116 measure.
How many Gas Safe registered engineers are there?
Gas Safe Register’s 2023/24 report records 150,729 registered engineers and 76,630 registered businesses as at 31 March 2024. These are dated counts, not a current headcount. The same report records 23.5 million engineer find/check searches on its website.
Its 61.9% consumer-awareness score combines awareness of gas safety, the Register and its consumer services. It is not a direct measure of how many households check an engineer’s registration or an estimate of unsafe appliances.
Use an appropriately qualified Gas Safe registered engineer for gas work and follow appliance servicing instructions. If you suspect a gas leak, act immediately: avoid flames and electrical switches, ventilate and turn off the supply only if safe, leave the affected area and contact the gas emergency service from a safe place. For a mains-gas emergency in Great Britain, call 0800 111 999.
Where do gas explosions sit in the wider fire picture?
Gas-and-explosion fires are a small part of the historical England fire-service total, but individual incidents can cause severe harm. For current wider context, England’s fire services attended 170,597 fires of all types in 2025/26. That newer all-fire figure must not be used to calculate a current gas-explosion share from the older extract.
The broader detection-and-prevention message connects gas safety to the rest of the fire-safety cluster. A gas leak that ignites is one of several household ignition causes worth understanding alongside carbon monoxide, working smoke alarms and safe use of candles and heating. For workplaces, staff who understand ignition risks, alarms and how to respond when one sounds react faster and more calmly — exactly the ground covered by our online fire safety awareness training course for every UK employee.
Frequently asked questions
How common are gas explosions in the UK?
The historical England extract records 270 fires involving gas and an explosion in 2021/22, within a seven-year total of 2,287. HSE separately records 21 reportable explosion/fire injury incidents in Great Britain in 2024/25 provisionally. They are different measures.
How many people die from gas explosions in the UK each year?
The England fire-service extract records 49 fire-related deaths in 2015/16–2021/22. HSE’s explosion/fire injury series records 11 deaths over 2020/21–2024/25 provisionally, including one in the latest year. Do not add the overlapping series together.
What is the most common cause of a domestic gas explosion?
The older England extract’s largest broad category was “other accidental”. Faulty fuel supplies accounted for 39–55 fires annually in 2015/16–2021/22. Dangerous-fitting notifications measure a separate issue and do not establish one current leading cause of domestic explosions.
How many UK homes have an unsafe gas appliance?
The inspection results cited here do not establish a representative national household total. Gas Safe Register reported 7,116 At Risk or Immediately Dangerous defects on inspected gas work in 2023/24; defects are not the same as separate homes.
Are gas explosion figures rising or falling?
HSE’s reportable explosion/fire incidents increased from 17 in 2023/24 to a provisional 21 in 2024/25, while dangerous-fitting notifications fell from 2,249 to 2,010. The older England fire-service extract cannot establish a current trend.
What should I do if I smell gas at home?
Treat a suspected leak as urgent. Avoid flames and electrical switches, open doors and windows and turn off the gas only if safe, then leave the affected area and call the emergency service from safety. The mains-gas emergency number in Great Britain is 0800 111 999; follow your supplier’s arrangements for LPG. Do not use an unsafe appliance until it has been checked.
Related guides
- Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Statistics UK: Deaths, Incidents & Alarms
- Smoke Alarm Statistics UK: Ownership, Failures & Lives Saved
- Candle Fire Statistics UK: Fires, Deaths & Seasonal Trends
- UK Fire Classes Explained: A, B, C, D, F (and L)
- Types of Fire Extinguisher: The Complete UK Guide
Sources & references
- Home Office — A22, fires involving gas and an explosion, 2015/16–2021/22
- Home Office — separate calendar-year extract, 2010–2021
- HSE — RIDGAS tables and reporting notes, 2024/25 provisional
- Gas Safe Register — At a Glance 2023/24, distinct defect categories
- HSE — domestic gas duties and emergency advice
- MHCLG — all-fire context for England, year ending March 2026
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Mark writes about workplace health & safety, fire safety awareness and accredited online training for Fire Safety Awareness Training, part of Online CPD Academy.