Fire hazards in educational establishments and community buildings may include overloaded electrical systems; overheated electronic and electrical equipment; leaking batteries; combustible materials being placed near equipment that generates heat, flame, or sparks; flammable liquids and aerosols; open flames such as Bunsen burners used in laboratory experiments; and flammable solvents (and rags soaked with solvent) placed in enclosed rubbish bins.
There are also hazards from the cooking processes and equipment used in the kitchens and from faulty or unattended equipment in kitchenettes and tea rooms in staff rooms and common rooms.

Lithium-Ion batteries found in laptops, tablets and mobile phones may also pose a specific and significant fire risk in these environments. The battery of any of these devices may have been damaged or over-charged for example, causing it to become hot and potentially start smoking or burst into flames. IT and computer server rooms and the hardware and software they house are also extremely vulnerable to the risk of fire from overheated equipment.