Fire and rescue services in England attended more fires in 2025/26 than in the previous year, while fire-related deaths fell. This guide brings together official Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) figures on incidents, casualties, false alarms and fire safety activity. The national statistics quoted here cover England; they are not totals for the whole UK.
Updated 15 October 2026. Incident and fire safety activity figures cover England, 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026. Smoke-alarm ownership is from the 2024/25 English Housing Survey; the economic-cost estimate relates to 2019/20.
Key facts and figures
- 170,597 fires were attended in England in 2025/26, up 19% from the previous year.
- 254 fire-related fatalities were recorded in England in 2025/26, down 9.3%.
- 6,848 non-fatal casualties were recorded in England in 2025/26, including 2,998 who required hospital treatment.
- 641,227 incidents were attended in England in 2025/26, up 5.8%.
- 255,047 fire false alarms were attended in England in 2025/26, accounting for 40% of incidents.
- £12 billion was the estimated economic and social cost of fire in England in 2019/20, at that year's prices.
How many fires are there in the UK?
In England, fire and rescue services attended 170,597 fires in 2025/26, up 19% from the revised 143,049 in 2024/25. Total incidents, including fires, false alarms and non-fire emergencies, reached 641,227, up 5.8%.
Fire numbers have fallen substantially over the longer term, but fluctuate from year to year. MHCLG links the latest increase largely to outdoor fires during the relatively hot, dry spring and summer of 2025. It does not indicate that every type of fire increased.
Fire deaths in the UK
England recorded 254 fire-related fatalities in 2025/26, down 9.3% from the revised 280 in 2024/25. People aged 65 and over accounted for 102 deaths, or 40%. Read more about the figures in our fire deaths guide.
Dwelling fires accounted for 184 fatalities, or 72% of the total. Fire prevention at home, working smoke alarms and escape arrangements that meet occupants' needs remain important.
Non-fatal fire casualties
The 6,848 non-fatal casualties included 2,998 people requiring hospital treatment, 1,570 receiving first aid and 2,280 receiving precautionary checks. The total therefore includes people who did not require treatment.
Being overcome by gas or smoke was the largest recorded non-fatal injury category, with 2,338 casualties. For fatalities, burns were the largest single recorded category: 78 deaths, compared with 77 from gas or smoke and 48 from a combination of the two.
Workplace and non-residential fires
There were 13,679 fires in other buildings in England in 2025/26, up 3.7% from 13,193. This category includes commercial, industrial and public premises, but also private non-residential buildings such as garages and sheds. It is broader than workplaces.
For workplaces in England and Wales, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 sets duties for the responsible person, including a suitable fire risk assessment and appropriate fire precautions. Trained staff support prevention and evacuation arrangements.
| Measure (England, 2025/26) | Figure | Change from 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|
| Fires attended | 170,597 | Up 19% |
| Total incidents attended | 641,227 | Up 5.8% |
| Fire-related fatalities | 254 | Down 9.3% |
| Non-fatal casualties | 6,848 | Up 6.2% |
| Fire false alarms | 255,047 | Up 1.6% |
| Formal fire safety actions | 3,355 | Up 11% |
The cost of fire to the UK
The Home Office estimated the economic and social cost of fire in England at £12.0 billion in 2019/20, using 2019/20 prices. This includes prevention, response and consequences such as property damage and harm to people. It is a historical England estimate, rather than a current UK annual total.
For an individual business, losses can include damaged premises and stock, temporary accommodation, interrupted trading and the cost of recovery. Suitable fire protection and continuity plans help businesses prepare for these risks; the impact varies substantially between premises.
False alarms
Fire and rescue services attended 255,047 fire false alarms in England in 2025/26: 40% of all incidents and 1.6% more than in 2024/25. Of these, 172,247 were due to apparatus. Good system maintenance, suitable detector siting and investigation of recurring causes can reduce disruption.
Smoke alarms and compliance
The 2024/25 English Housing Survey found that 93% of households in England self-reported a working smoke alarm. This is a household survey measure, separate from the records of fires attended.
In 2025/26, 29,909 of 50,195 fire safety audits were satisfactory (60%). Fire and rescue services recorded 3,355 formal actions: 1,896 enforcement notices, 1,224 prohibition notices, 202 alteration notices and 33 prosecutions. Audits target premises according to risk, so their results are not a compliance rate for all premises.
Make sure your workplace has trained fire wardens in place.
Explore the Fire Warden / Fire Marshal Course →Sources & references
- MHCLG: fire and rescue incident statistics, year ending March 2026
- MHCLG: detailed analysis of fires, England, year ending March 2026
- MHCLG FIRE0102: incidents by type, England (Excel)
- MHCLG FIRE0301: fires by building type, England (Excel)
- MHCLG FIRE0503: fatalities by age, gender and location, England (Excel)
- MHCLG FIRE0504: causes of death and injury, England (Excel)
- MHCLG FIRE0701: household smoke-alarm ownership (Excel)
- MHCLG: fire prevention and protection statistics, England, 2025/26
- Home Office: Economic and social cost of fire, England 2019/20 (published 2023)
- Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 — current legislation
Mark writes about workplace fire safety, compliance and online training for Fire Marshal Training, part of Online CPD Academy.