The UK records more fires, more fire deaths and more fire false alarms than at almost any point in the past five years. After decades of sustained improvement, several of the key trends have reversed. This guide brings together the latest verified data from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG), Gov.UK and the Fire Industry Association (FIA), covering the scale of fire in the UK, who is most at risk, the cost to the economy and what the numbers mean for workplaces.

Key facts and figures

  • 142,494 fires were attended by fire and rescue services in England in 2024/25 — up 2.5% on the previous year.
  • 271 fire-related fatalities were recorded in England — an increase of around 8%.
  • 6,410 non-fatal fire casualties required hospital treatment or first aid at the scene.
  • 628,764 total incidents were attended by fire services in the year ending June 2025, up 5.7%.
  • 250,226 false alarms were recorded — around 42% of all fire service incidents.
  • £12 billion is the estimated total annual cost of fire to the UK economy.

How many fires are there in the UK?

Fire and rescue services in England attended 142,494 fires in 2024/25, a 2.5% rise on the previous 12 months. Total incidents attended — which include fires, false alarms and non-fire emergencies such as road traffic collisions and flooding — reached 628,764 in the year ending June 2025, up 5.7%.

The long-term picture is one of decline followed by a recent plateau. Fire numbers fell substantially from their early-2000s peak as smoke alarm ownership rose and fire safety regulation tightened, but the last few years have seen the downward trend stall and, for some categories, reverse.

Fire deaths in the UK

There were 271 fire-related fatalities in England in the latest year — an increase of approximately 8%. Older people are disproportionately affected: around 39% of fire deaths are among people aged 65 and over, a group that is both more likely to be exposed to fire risks at home and less able to escape quickly.

The majority of fire deaths occur in the home rather than the workplace. This reflects both the volume of domestic fires and the presence of vulnerable people, overnight occupancy and ignition sources such as cooking, smoking materials and electrical faults.

Non-fatal fire casualties

Beyond fatalities, fire services recorded 6,410 non-fatal casualties in the latest year — people who required hospital treatment, were given first aid at the scene, or suffered the effects of smoke inhalation. Smoke and toxic gases, rather than burns, are the leading cause of fire injury and death.

Workplace and non-residential fires

There were approximately 6,665 fires in non-residential (workplace) buildings in the latest year. While workplaces account for a smaller share of total fires than dwellings, the consequences for a business can be severe — and the legal duty to prevent them sits squarely with the employer.

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, every employer must carry out a fire risk assessment and appoint enough trained competent persons — fire wardens — to assist with prevention and evacuation. The data underlines why: a single workplace fire can mean injury, prosecution, and in many cases permanent closure of the business.

Measure (England, latest year)FigureTrend
Fires attended142,494▲ 2.5%
Total incidents attended628,764▲ 5.7%
Fire-related fatalities271▲ ~8%
Non-fatal casualties6,410—
False alarms250,226~42% of incidents
Formal enforcement notices2,972▲ 5.3%

The cost of fire to the UK

The total annual cost of fire to the UK economy is estimated at around £12 billion, covering the cost of fire protection, the response itself and the consequences of fires that do occur. Business fire insurance claims alone run to approximately £940 million a year, according to FIA figures.

The impact on individual businesses is stark: roughly a quarter of seriously fire-affected businesses never reopen, and of those that fail to recover quickly, the large majority close permanently. The cost of training a handful of fire wardens is negligible by comparison.

False alarms

False alarms are a major and growing drain on fire service resources. There were 250,226 false alarms in the latest year — about 42% of all incidents attended. Most are caused by automatic fire detection systems triggered by cooking fumes, steam, dust or poor maintenance. Reducing false alarms through better system management and staff awareness frees up resources for genuine emergencies.

Smoke alarms and compliance

Around 92% of households now have at least one working smoke alarm — a key factor in the long-term fall in domestic fire deaths, since a working alarm dramatically increases the chance of early escape. On the enforcement side, around 58% of fire safety audits were judged satisfactory, and fire services issued 2,972 formal notices (up 5.3%) where standards fell short.

Sources & references

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Mark McShane
Mark McShane
Fire Safety Training Specialist, Online CPD Academy

Mark writes about workplace fire safety, compliance and accredited training for Fire Marshal Training, part of Online CPD Academy.