5 Takeaways from the Latest UK Fire Incident Statistics

The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government have released their report for fire and rescue incidents, for 2024. As health and safety professionals, real-world data is extremely valuable and something to learn from. This year’s report houses some positives trends, however, it also serves as a reality check.

Businesses leaders must understand this year’s report as it may influence future fire safety legislation, business continuity plans and emergency response procedures.

Summary of the 2024 Fire Incident Statistics for England in 2024

Firstly, here is our high-level overview of the facts coming out of this year’s report.

• 600,185 total incidents attended in the year ending Dec 2024, up 1.2% from 593,285 in Dec 2023. This marks a 7.7% increase versus five years ago and 20% versus ten years ago.
• The decade-long trend shows a steady rise from ~500,000 incidents in 2014 to ~600,000 in 2024, with a 2022 peak due to a hot, dry summer.
• 136,702 fires recorded—the lowest annual total since consistent reporting began: down 3.9% from 142,312, and 11% down from 153,136 ten years ago.
• 38,144 building fires attended (including homes and other buildings): –2.7% year-on-year, –11% from five years ago, –18% from ten years ago. These represent 6.4% of all incidents, 28% of all fires, and 62% of primary fires.
• Primary fires: average response 9 min 04 s (+2 s YoY), +21 s vs five years ago, +31 s vs ten years.
• Secondary fires: average response 9 min 18 s (–6 s YoY), down vs five-year average by 2 s, but up vs ten-year average by 22s.

5 Biggest Takeaways for HSE Professionals

Now that you have the high-level summary, we have some observations from the report and how it might influence your fire safety strategy moving forward.

Overall Incident Numbers Are Climbing Again

Fire and rescue services attended over 600,000 incidents in 2024—a 1.2% rise from the previous year and a 20% jump over the past decade. This is a clear reminder for business leaders to revisit their fire safety measures.

Over the years, I’ve conducted audits where businesses hadn’t reviewed their fire risk assessments for more than five years – which is a legal requirement. In one case, a growing logistics company had expanded its warehousing footprint but hadn’t updated its evacuation strategy. The result? Staff didn’t know which fire exits to use—and crucially, fire marshals weren’t assigned to new zones.

You must make fire safety reviews part of your annual health and safety calendar. Risk evolves with your business—your fire plan should evolve too. We have provided a free fire risk assessment for businesses to use previously, to ensure they are meeting the necessary standard.

Number of Fires May Be Falling—But Complacency Is a Killer

The number of fires fell by nearly 4% - a positive trend - but this shouldn’t lead to relaxed attitudes. Dwelling fires still claimed 199 lives, and the majority of fatal fires happened in homes, including multi-occupancy and supported living environments.

In my experience, when fire incidents drop, businesses often deprioritise training. Ensure all fire wardens and responsible persons have up-to-date, role-specific training and that evacuation drills reflect real-time operational scenarios. And don’t forget night shifts or hybrid workers—they need to be part of the plan too. Take a look at our guide for fire wardens on how to use a fire extinguisher. We also have fire warden training available for employees.

False Alarms Are Soaring – Are Your Systems Helping or Hindering?

False alarms reached 251,852, with the majority caused by faulty or oversensitive fire detection systems. I've worked with multiple facilities where regular false alarms led to a dangerous sense of apathy—staff stopped evacuating quickly because they’d “heard it all before.”

This is a serious risk. In a real emergency, that delay could cost lives.

Conduct a fire detection system audit—especially in older buildings or where layout changes may have interfered with sensor placement. Make sure systems are serviced regularly and that staff understand the procedure for verifying false alarms before mass evacuations (where policy permits). Look into best practices for fire alarm system maintenance to avoid costly disruptions.

Non-Fire Incidents Are Rising – Time to Think Beyond the Flames

Fire crews are increasingly responding to non-fire emergencies—flooding, medical incidents, entry rescues, and road traffic collisions. These now account for more than a third of all incidents.

For businesses, this is a reminder that risk isn’t always obvious. A food manufacturing site I visited had a minor flood after a frozen pipe burst. While staff responded quickly, the site hadn’t planned for power loss during a cold snap—and operations were halted for 48 hours.

Include non-fire emergencies in your business continuity and emergency preparedness plans. These could range from severe weather to lone worker incidents or lift entrapments. For help preparing your team for all fire emergencies, we devised a full guide and poster on how to manage a fire evacuation.

Response Times Are Slipping – Your First Line of Defence Is You

The average response time to primary fires has crept up to 9 minutes and 4 seconds. That might not seem significant—but in a real fire, those minutes can be the difference between a manageable situation and a total loss.

I once supported a retail site that experienced an electrical fire in the stockroom. Thanks to well-trained staff and a fast initial response, they contained the blaze before it reached the sales floor. The fire service arrived eight minutes later, but by then the critical decisions had already been made.

Be sure to equip your teams with the skills to act fast—this includes accessible extinguishers, clear signage, and confident decision-making. Fire drills should test timing, clarity of communication, and leadership under pressure.

Final Thoughts: Stay Proactive, Not Reactive

These statistics should do more than inform—they should galvanise us. Whether you manage a single site or a national portfolio, the message is clear: fire safety is evolving, and so must our approach.

The best health and safety cultures I’ve seen don’t just respond to data—they lead with it. They anticipate the risks behind the numbers and act before the incident, not after.

If you haven’t reviewed your fire strategy this year, now is the time.

Need Support to Protect Against Fires in the Workplace?

Explore our Fire Safety Training Courses or speak to one of our consultants about tailored support for your business. We have a variety of different fire safety training courses available:

• NEBOSH Certificate in Fire Safety: The essential qualification for persons looking to take on fire safety risk management. The course comprises six elements that cover fire safety principles, risk and safety management and the prevention of fire risks.
• Fire Risk Assessment and Fire Safety Management: This course is perfect for anyone needing to build a foundational level of their safety responsibilities and those of their organisation.
• Fire Warden: This course is perfectly suited for any hopeful or existing fire wardens, deputies, safety representatives or individuals holding fire warden responsibilities.

We also have a free fire safety checklist available for businesses looking to become legal compliant with UK fire safety regulations.