Fire false alarms accounted for 40% of incidents attended by fire and rescue services in England in 2025/26. They can disrupt businesses and take up crews' time, so reducing avoidable calls matters. This guide explains the official figures, the different categories of false alarm and what changes to local attendance policies mean for premises.
Updated 15 October 2026. Main figures cover England, 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026. The five-year total covers 2021/22–2025/26. London alarm-call volume is for calendar 2025; the response policy is current at review and the cost estimate relates to England in 2019/20.
Key facts and figures
- 255,047 fire false alarms were attended in England in 2025/26, accounting for 40% of incidents.
- 172,247 false alarms were due to apparatus in England in 2025/26, about 68% of all fire false alarms.
- £34.9 million was the estimated fire-service response cost of false alarms in England in 2019/20, at that year's prices.
- 1,234,545 fire false alarms were attended in England over the five financial years 2021/22–2025/26.
- 47,500 automatic fire alarm calls were attended by London Fire Brigade in calendar 2025, according to its policy page.
- Under 1% of non-residential automatic fire alarm calls are ultimately recorded as fires, according to current LFB guidance.
False alarms and fire service demand
England's 255,047 fire false alarms in 2025/26 exceeded its 170,597 fires attended. False alarms accounted for 40% of the 641,227 incidents attended, compared with 27% for fires and 34% for non-fire incidents; rounded shares may not sum to 100%.
Overall fire false alarms rose 1.6% from the revised 250,987 in 2024/25. Apparatus false alarms moved in the opposite direction, falling 2.6% from 176,757 to 172,247. Different types of false alarm therefore do not necessarily follow the same trend.
What is a false alarm?
In these statistics, a fire false alarm is an incident attended in the belief that a fire had occurred, where no fire is found to have existed. It is not simply every alarm activation: the figures concern fire-service attendances.
- Due to apparatus: alarms associated with fire-warning equipment, including some accidental activations by people. There were 172,247 in England in 2025/26.
- Good intent: calls made in the genuine belief that a fire had occurred. There were 77,181 in England in 2025/26.
- Malicious: deliberately false reports or activations. There were 5,619 in England in 2025/26; this is broader than manual call-point activations alone.
The scale of the problem
Fire and rescue services in England attended 1,234,545 fire false alarms over 2021/22–2025/26. The annual totals were 229,896; 244,521; 254,094; 250,987; and 255,047 respectively. In the latest year, apparatus accounted for about 68% of the total.
London Fire Brigade reports 47,500 automatic fire alarm calls in calendar 2025, accounting for 34% of its incidents. Its current policy page states that fewer than 1% of non-residential automatic fire alarm calls are ultimately recorded as fires. The 47,500 figure counts alarm calls, rather than only false alarms.
| Measure and reporting period | Figure |
|---|---|
| Fire false alarms, England, 2025/26 | 255,047 |
| Share of all incidents, England, 2025/26 | 40% |
| Due to apparatus, England, 2025/26 | 172,247 (68%) |
| LFB automatic fire alarm calls, calendar 2025 | 47,500 |
| Fires among non-residential AFA calls, current LFB guidance | Under 1% |
| Estimated false-alarm response cost, England, 2019/20 | £34.9 million |
Why false alarms happen
An alarm can be triggered by something other than a fire, or by a fault or accidental activation. Causes to consider when investigating repeated signals include:
- Cooking fumes reaching detectors.
- Steam from bathrooms, showers or kitchens.
- Dust from building and refurbishment work.
- Maintenance or system faults affecting equipment.
- Detector type and placement that are unsuitable for the surrounding conditions.
- Changes to alarm signalling or communications connections that need assessment by the system provider.
The legal consequences of persistent false alarms
In England and Wales, Article 17 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires suitable maintenance of fire safety facilities, equipment and devices. Repeated unwanted signals should prompt investigation and corrective action where necessary.
The Home Office estimated £34.9 million in fire-service response costs for false alarms in England in 2019/20, at 2019/20 prices. This historical figure does not measure the whole UK economy's losses or all disruption to businesses. Local charging and attendance policies also vary.
Non-attendance policies: the industry response
Since 1 October 2024, London Fire Brigade does not normally attend automatic fire alarm calls alone from most non-residential premises between 07:00 and 20:30; a report of fire is needed for these calls. Exemptions include residential and sleeping accommodation, care homes, hospitals, schools, nurseries and certain heritage premises. LFB still attends automatic alarms overnight, and exempt building types do not require the same confirmation of fire. Staff should make the premises type and exemption clear when calling. Check the current policy for the complete scope.
An automatic signal may therefore not produce the same response at every premises. Follow the local fire service's guidance and the building's emergency plan. Evacuate as required, call 999 if there is a fire or signs of fire, and do not delay escape or put anyone at risk to investigate. Tell the emergency operator what is known rather than waiting for certainty.
What businesses should do
Reduce avoidable signals while maintaining an effective warning system and safe evacuation arrangements. Practical steps include:
- Arrange suitable maintenance, servicing and testing of the alarm system.
- Have a competent person review detector type and siting where recurring activations occur.
- Plan building work, cooking and hot work so that precautions remain effective and alarm arrangements are properly managed.
- Record activations and investigate recurring causes once it is safe to do so.
- Train staff and fire wardens to follow the emergency plan, evacuate when required and contact the fire service without putting themselves at risk.
Review the local fire service's current attendance policy and make sure staff understand any premises-specific arrangements. A policy intended to reduce unwanted calls does not replace the need for a prompt response to a suspected fire.
Make sure your team can respond to alarms and reduce false signals.
Explore the Fire Warden / Fire Marshal Course →Sources & references
- MHCLG: fire and rescue incident statistics, year ending March 2026
- MHCLG FIRE0102: incidents by type, England (Excel)
- MHCLG: fire statistics definitions
- Home Office: Economic and social cost of fire, England 2019/20 (published 2023)
- London Fire Brigade: automatic fire alarm response policy
- London Fire Brigade: October 2024 announcement and 2023/24 alarm figures
- Fire Safety Order 2005 — Article 17: maintenance
Mark writes about workplace fire safety, compliance and online training for Fire Marshal Training, part of Online CPD Academy.