More than 1,000 electrical fires have been tackled by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service in the last three years.

An investigation by Legal Expert has revealed that more than 400 of the fires occurred in homes, with cookers being the leading cause.

According to the Home Office, faulty electrics cause around 4,000 house fires across the UK each year.

The findings coincide with the launch of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service's (HIWFRS) new "turn off the heat before you eat" campaign this November.

The campaign aims to warn residents about the dangers of cooker-induced fires in homes.

In a statement, the fire service said: "50 per cent of all accidental fires in the home across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight over the last few years started in the kitchen.

"When life gets busy it’s easy for everyone to get distracted, so HIWFRS wants to remind the community how important it is to ‘keep looking while cooking’."

Legal Expert's investigation found that between 2021 and 2024, Hampshire and Isle of Wight fire crews attended 1,027 fires caused by electrical faults alone. Of these, 410 were in homes.

A further 269 electrical fires occurred in commercial properties such as office buildings, while 48 happened outdoors.

The remaining 300 electrical fires occurred in a vehicle or boat, according to HIWFRS figures.

HIWFRS also revealed that the leading appliance to cause electrical fires in homes in the last three years was cookers, including ovens, accounting for 29 incidents.

Fluorescent lights were the ignition source for a further 26 house fires, while extractor fans caused 14 blazes.

Fridge/freezers and washing machines were the cause of 26 domestic fires, accounting for 13 incidents each.

The fire service confirmed that in the last three years, there have been four deaths as a result of electrical fires, as well as 15 people who sustained serious or slight injuries.

As part of its latest campaign warning of the dangers of cooking, HIWFRS’ head of prevention Karen Farr said: "As a service, we look carefully at the different risks our communities face across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to ensure we play our role in raising awareness of these dangers."

To find out more about the research, go to legalexpert.co.uk/personal-injury-compensation/defective-product-claim/our-research-into-electrical-house-fires.