Electrical cables are a critical component of a building’s fire resilience. If they fail during a fire, the life safety systems they support, such as alarms, emergency lighting, smoke extraction, fire doors, and sprinklers will also fail. When electrical cables fail, buildings lose their ability to protect both people and assets.
This is why understanding the difference between standard fire-resistant cables and fire-survival Mineral Insulated Copper Clad (MICC) cables is essential for risk consultants, underwriters and specifiers.
MICC cables (also known as pyro cables) offer a level of resilience that directly reduces fire risk and improves building safety outcomes.
Why cables matter in a fire
Cabling often sits out of sight, yet it underpins every critical system in a building. In a fire, damage to these cables can cause cascading failures across systems relied on for evacuation and containment.
While fire-resistant, polymer-based cables (often called ‘soft skin’ cables) can pass laboratory-based tests, they may still fail in real-world conditions. Heat, water, mechanical impact or prolonged exposure can compromise their integrity. This creates a dangerous gap between test performance and real performance.
MICC cables are designed to survive fire
MICC fire survival cables are built from inorganic materials - copper and magnesium oxide - that are inherently fireproof. They’re engineered to continue operating for the full duration of a fire, not merely at its onset.
Key benefits of MICC cables include:
- Continuous operation in temperatures exceeding 1000°C
- No smoke or toxic gas emission
- Zero degradation over time (non-aging)
- Waterproof, corrosion-resistant and highly durable
- Minimal maintenance requirements and exceptionally long lifespan
These features make MICC cables particularly suitable for high-risk environments such as hospitals, residential towers, schools, care homes, government buildings.
Regulatory change supports smarter choices
In the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, building fire safety regulation in the UK has tightened. In March 2025, the BS 476 standard was replaced with the European BS EN 13501 framework, including BS EN 13501-6 for cable classification. This introduced a clearer, more rigorous system of classification based on ignition, flame spread, smoke production, and heat release. Cables are now rated from A1 (non-combustible) to F (easily combustible) under the Euroclass system.
However, classification alone isn’t enough. Even some Euroclass-rated cables don’t guarantee operational integrity during a fire. Soft skin cables may meet fire resistance thresholds under test conditions but often fail under mechanical stress or prolonged heat exposure. MICC cables, by contrast, have a proven track record of delivering continuous power in even the most extreme fire conditions.
Risk reduction you can measure
Cable failure poses a significant threat to life safety, business continuity, and asset protection. Poor cable performance can delay evacuation, accelerate fire spread, and increase insurance exposure and reinstatement costs.
When properly specified, MICC fire survival cables help to mitigate these risks by:
- Reducing the likelihood of critical system failure
- Supporting safer and faster evacuation
- Lowering potential liabilities
- Improving risk profiles for insurers and asset managers
Time to reassess specification priorities
The move to BS EN 13501 offers an opportunity to reevaluate how cables are specified and integrated into a building’s fire strategy. With clearer classification and increasing scrutiny from regulators and insurers, the case for fire survival cabling is only getting stronger. For consultants, insurers, and underwriters seeking to minimise risk and protect lives, MICC cables offer a practical, proven solution. These cables exceed fire performance standards when it matters most - in real fires with real consequences.
- Download our white paper “Expecting the Unexpected” to learn how MICC fire survival cables can contribute to a more robust building risk profile.