Fire Safety Science Digital Archive

The number of fires due to electric lamps has nearly doubled since 1956, in which year lamps with smaller bulb sizes were introduced. Reducing bulb size, either of the standard or the 'mushroom' type, will increase the temperature of the bulb and its leads. This suggests that part, at least, of the increase in the number of fires is due to the smaller size of the bulbs. Greater care is therefore necessary in the use of these bulbs.