Home Office releases detailed fire and rescue incident statistics for England

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Fire and rescue statistics England: September 2024 data

The Home Office’s fire and rescue incident statistics for England, covering the year ending September 2024, revealed a total of 598,504 incidents attended by fire and rescue services (FRSs).

This figure marks a 1.0% increase compared to the previous year’s total of 592,293 incidents.

Over the past decade, incidents have increased by 18%, rising from 506,235 in 2014.

However, incidents peaked in the year ending September 2022, with approximately 621,000 recorded, largely due to the hot, dry summer that year.

The breakdown of incidents for 2024 shows that fires accounted for 22% of the total, while fire false alarms made up 42%, and non-fire incidents represented 35%.

Over the last decade, the share of non-fire incidents has increased, while fire-related incidents have declined.

Decline in fire incidents and fatalities

Fire incidents fell to 133,072 in 2024, a 7.4% decrease compared to 143,751 in 2023.

This represents the lowest figure since data collection began.

Over the past decade, fire incidents have decreased by 14%, with the number of primary fires falling from 70,937 in 2014 to 61,103 in 2024, a 14% decline.

Fire-related fatalities decreased by 4.7% in 2024, with 263 fatalities recorded compared to 276 in 2023.

Of these, 204 fatalities occurred in dwelling fires, a slight decline of 1.0% from the previous year.

Fatalities in high-rise flats or maisonettes (10 or more storeys) remained consistent, with two fatal fires and two fatalities recorded in both 2023 and 2024.

Non-fatal casualties increased slightly to 6,300 in 2024, up from 6,231 in 2023.

Of these, 2,758 required hospital treatment, a 1.6% rise compared to the previous year.

Rise in non-fire incidents and false alarms

Non-fire incidents reached 211,391 in 2024, reflecting a 4.8% increase from the 201,769 recorded in 2023.

This category has grown significantly over the past decade, with a 60% increase compared to 132,078 incidents in 2014.

Collaborating incidents, which include assisting other agencies, accounted for 34% of non-fire incidents, rising 11% to 71,681 in 2024.

Road traffic collisions (RTCs) also increased slightly by 1.4%, reaching 31,946 incidents.

Flooding incidents, however, fell by 3.7% to 17,978, while medical incidents decreased by 9.7% to 14,592.

False alarms, the largest category of incidents, totalled 254,041 in 2024, up 2.9% from 246,773 in 2023.

The majority of these (183,115) were attributed to apparatus, marking a 4.9% increase compared to the previous year.

Good-intent false alarms decreased slightly by 1.3%, while malicious false alarms fell by 7.4%.

Response times and regional comparisons

The average response time to primary fires in England was 9 minutes and 4 seconds, a 4-second increase compared to 2023.

Dwelling fires had an average response time of 8 minutes and 5 seconds, up by 6 seconds from the previous year.

In contrast, secondary fire response times improved, with a 7-second reduction to an average of 9 minutes and 16 seconds.

Comparisons across Great Britain for the year ending March 2024 showed that England accounted for approximately 600,000 of the 719,000 incidents attended in total.

Scotland and Wales recorded 80,000 and 38,000 incidents, respectively.

England had the lowest rate of incidents per million people (10,408), compared to 14,661 in Scotland and 12,028 in Wales.

Primary fires across the three nations totalled 75,000, with England responsible for 62,000 of these.

Fire-related fatalities in England accounted for 249 of the 309 fatalities across Great Britain, and England also had the highest number of non-fatal casualties at 6,347.

CheckFire comments on fire alarm maintenance after rise in false activations

Rise in false fire alarms and the need for maintenance

In response to the recently published fire and rescue incident statistics from the UK government, Bruce Robins, director at CheckFire, has highlighted the growing issue of false fire alarms caused by apparatus.

The data shows fire and rescue services (FRSs) in England attended 254,041 false fire alarms in the year ending September 2024.

This represents a 2.9% increase from the previous year and marks the highest total recorded since 2011.

Of these false alarms, 183,115 were attributed to apparatus, an increase of 4.9% compared to 2023 and a 25% rise over the last decade.

Diverting resources from emergencies

Bruce Robins stated: “Faulty or poorly maintained fire alarms not only disrupt emergency services but also divert vital resources away from genuine emergencies, where every second counts.”

False fire alarms caused by apparatus accounted for the largest proportion of false alarm incidents attended by FRSs.

Robins emphasised that preventable false activations can delay response times to critical emergencies.

He urged both the public and businesses to prioritise proper installation and routine maintenance of fire alarm systems.

Encouraging investment in reliable systems

Robins also pointed to the importance of investing in high-quality fire alarm systems and maintaining them regularly to avoid false activations.

He said: “Effective fire safety begins with attentiveness, from regular alarm testing and maintenance to ensuring the right fire safety measures are in place, such as clear signage and appropriate fire extinguishers.”

While the statistics highlighted a 7.4% reduction in fire incidents compared to the previous year, Robins stressed that this progress should not be undermined by preventable false alarms.

Reliable systems and proper maintenance are key to reducing strain on emergency services and ensuring public safety.

Supporting fire and rescue services through prevention

The rise in false fire alarms underscores the critical role of prevention in supporting the work of fire and rescue services.

Robins called on businesses and households to reduce preventable disruptions by adhering to maintenance schedules and ensuring systems are compliant with regulations.

“Doing so not only supports fire and rescue services but also enhances safety for everyone,” he said.

Fire and rescue statistics England: September 2024 data: Summary

The Home Office’s fire and rescue statistics for England highlight a mixed picture for the year ending September 2024.

Incidents attended increased by 1.0%, driven by a rise in non-fire incidents and false alarms.

Fire-related incidents continued to decline, reaching their lowest recorded level, while fire-related fatalities decreased to 263.

Non-fire incidents grew substantially, particularly collaborating incidents, which saw an 11% increase.

False alarms due to apparatus also continued their upward trend.

Response times to primary fires and dwelling fires increased slightly, in line with long-term trends.

The statistics, sourced from the Incident Recording System, provide a comprehensive view of fire and rescue activity in England and underscore changing patterns over the past decade.

Detailed data tables and further information are available on the Home Office’s website.

Bruce Robins, director at CheckFire, has urged businesses and households to take action following the UK government’s fire and rescue incident statistics.

The data shows a 2.9% rise in false fire alarms attended by FRSs in England, driven by a 4.9% increase in apparatus-related alarms.

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