Construction site fires cost the UK £1 billion annually. With high-profile incidents at timber-frame sites and demolition projects, we examine the risks and best practice prevention.. The Scale of the Problem £1 billion annual cost of construction site fires in the UK 11,000+ fires on construction sites annually Arson accounts for approximately 30% of major site fires Common Causes 1. Hot works — welding, cutting, brazing (40%) 2. Electrical faults — temporary installations, damaged cables (20%) 3. Arson — deliberate fire setting (30%) 4. Discarded smoking materials (5%) 5. Plant and equipment (5%) The Joint Code of Practice (JCoP) The Construction Industry JCoP on Fire Prevention provides comprehensive guidance: Hot works permits and procedures Temporary fire detection and suppression Site security measures Combustible materials management Emergency response planning Special Risk: Timber Frame Timber frame buildings under construction are extremely vulnerable: No fire protection systems operational Exposed timber structural elements Multiple ignition sources from construction activities Rapid fire growth potential Mitigation Phased installation of compartmentation Temporary detection systems 24/7 security with fire patrols Hot works management within 10m of timber For construction phase fire safety plans, contact Magnus Opifex.