Abstract: As the important power transmission equipment in power system, wires and cables are closely related to production and living for their high production and wide range of laying. However, due to the complex working environment, different operating conditions and the flammable insulation material, wire and cable fire accidents occasionally occur. Wires and cables differ in structure, size, material, use, voltage level, load level, etc., but they have similarities in disaster-causing process, which can be divided into three stages: ignition, combustion and extinguishment. Wire and cable fires can be caused by the faults of wires and cables themselves, or the faults caused by external heat sources. According to the heat sources that cause wires and cables to ignite, this paper discusses the causes of combustion from six aspects, including unreliable connection, carbonization-path arc, air-arc, external heat source, core overheating and short circuit, and briefly introduces the ignition mechanisms by above-mentioned multiple factors. Combustion characteristics of wires and cables and experimental methods about them are introduced in this paper. Moreover, the shortcomings in the current study and the problems that should be focused on in the future are presented, which is of great significance to guide the implementation of fire prevention measures.