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Stream/Area:
-
Subject:
-
Paper ID:
IJSREM66919
Volume:
10 |
8 |
Aug 2026
Pages:
1-9
Publication Frequency:
Monthly (12 issues per year)
License:International Journal of Scientific Research in Engineering and Management follows the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) License, allowing free use and distribution with proper attribution.
B.Tech Fire Engineering
National fire service college
B.Tech Fire Engineering
National fire service college
B.Tech Fire Engineering
National fire service college
B.Tech Fire Engineering
National fire service college
B.Tech Fire Engineering
National fire service college
B.Tech Fire Engineering
National fire service college
Electrical cable fire is major reason in modern day to day life for fire incident in structural fire. Electric cable is fundamental components of modern infrastructure and used to transmit the el-ectrical power and communication signals in residential, commercial, industrial system. Their reliability is essential for continuous operation and for the continuous use of the system. Yes, this integration brings the vulnerability: the polymer insulated cable have risk of ignition and possible fire hazard in associated area, this can lead to the catastrophic incident which result in loss of material and sometimes life. Cable consist of underestimated fire load that can serve as both ignition and fuel for flame spread. The main reason behind the cable fire is degradation of cable insulation, exposed to excessive heat, electrical fault or external fire sources. Once cable fire is initiated it can spread rapidly along the cable routes. When these cables ignited adjacent cable can ignite in approximately 40 seconds when exposed to arc- generated flames. Fire spread in cable is a complex phenomenon driven by the nature of the material fuel and thermal feedback. The empirical reality in cable fire behaviour is governed by complex, non-linear interaction between thermal degradation and environmental ventilation.
KEYWORDS
This review demonstrates that electrical cable fires remain a significant threat to modern residential, commercial, industrial, and critical infrastructure because cables act as both ignition sources and combustible fuel. Fire behaviour is controlled by the interaction of conductor material, insulation properties, cable geometry, installation arrangement, electrical loading, and environmental conditions. Understanding these interactions is essential for improving fire risk assessment and ensuring the reliability of electrical systems. Empirical analysis of electrical cable and passive fire protection of cable fire. The literature confirms that copper conductors, metallic armouring, and suitable insulation materials can improve fire resistance, while passive fire protection systems such as intumescent coatings and fire barriers significantly reduce flame spread and delay cable failure. Nevertheless, current testing standards do not fully represent the complex conditions encountered during actual industrial fires, where multiple electrical and thermal hazards occur simultaneously. The review also identifies important knowledge gaps related to combined fault conditions, long-duration fire exposure, cable ageing, ventilation effects, and bundled cable installations. Addressing these gaps through full-scale experimental studies will improve the prediction of cable fire behaviour and enhance the design of effective passive fire protection systems. Overall, integrating optimized cable design, appropriate passive fire protection, realistic fire testing, and predictive fire modelling will strengthen electrical fire safety, improve system resilience, and reduce the risk of fire-related damage and service interruption in critical infrastructure.
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Publication Date
8/24/2026
Peer Review Type
Double-Blind Peer Review
Review Rounds: 2
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Conflict of Interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest related to this research work.
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