National statistics

Fire and rescue incident statistics: England, year ending December 2022

Published 11 May 2023

Applies to England

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Frequency of release: Quarterly

Forthcoming releases: Home Office statistics release calendar

Home Office responsible statistician: Helene Clark

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This release contains statistics about incidents attended by fire and rescue services (FRSs) in England for the year ending December 2022. The statistics are sourced from the Home Office’s online Incident Recording System (IRS) and include statistics on all incidents, fire-related fatalities, casualties from fires and response times to fires, with long term comparisons.

Key results

FRSs attended 627,553 incidents in the year ending December 2022, a 13% increase compared with the previous year (555,602). Of these incidents, there were 183,209 fires which was a 24% increase compared with the previous year (147,347). These increases can be attributed to a 39% increase in secondary fires and a 57% increase in outdoor primary fires following the hot, dry summer in 2022, for more detail see ‘Total outdoor fires for summer 2022’. Also contributing were large increases in the non-fire incident categories collaborating incidents and road traffic collisions, as well as the fire false alarm categories, good intent and due to apparatus.

There were 252 fire-related fatalities in the year ending December 2022 compared with 286 in the previous year. The fire-related fatalities in year ending December 2022 are within the ranges seen previous years. This is discussed further in section 5, ‘Fire-related fatalities and casualties’.

1. Incident summary

Incidents that FRSs attend are categorised into 3 main types - fires attended, non-fire incidents and fire false alarms.

Key results

In the year ending December 2022:

  • 627,553 incidents were attended by FRSs. This was a 13% increase compared with the previous year (555,602), an 11% increase compared with 5 years ago (566,062) and a 16% increase compared with 10 years ago (541,982); Source: FIRE0102
  • the hot, dry Summer of 2022 drove an increase in secondary fires and outdoor primary fires; Source: ‘Total outdoor fires for summer 2022’
  • additionally contributing to the change in incident numbers were large increases in the non-fire incident categories which included collaborating incidents and road traffic collisions, as well as the fire false alarm category; Source: FIRE0102
  • of all incidents attended by FRSs, fires accounted for 29%, fire false alarms 39% and non-fire incidents 32%; compared with 10 years ago where fires accounted for 30%, fire false alarms 44% and non-fire incidents 26%; Source: FIRE0102

Total incidents

The total number of incidents attended by FRSs in England peaked in the year to March 2004, at over one million incidents. For around a decade, there was a general decline in all 3 categories of incidents attended and by the year ending March 2015 there were fewer than half a million incidents. The number of incidents then rose to around 577,000 in the year to March 2019 (the largest total since the year to March 2012). This increase in total incidents was predominantly driven by increases in fire and non-fire incidents, which are discussed in section 4 ‘Non-fire incidents attended’.

In the year ending December 2022, there were around 628,000 incidents attended by FRSs, this was the largest total of incidents for a year ending December since comparable records became available.

There were 149,229 incidents for the October to December 2022 quarter, which was a 4.5% increase over the same quarter in 2021 (142,807). These increases are due to a 10% increase in non-fire incidents and a 6.2% increase in fire false alarms, compared to the same quarter in 2021. The number of fires in the quarter decreased by 7.5% compared to the same quarter in the previous year.

Figure 1.1: Total incidents attended by incident type, England; comparing year ending December 2012 and year ending December 2022

Source: FIRE0102

Notes:

  1. Non-fire incidents include non-fire false alarms.

For the year ending December 2022, there was a 13% increase in all incidents compared to the previous year.

All 3 main incident types increased compared to year ending December 2021. The increase in total incidents compared to the year ending December 2021 may partly reflect the easing of coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions, and should be borne in mind when considering year-on-year comparisons. In addition to the increase in total incidents year-on-year for the year ending December 2022, there was an increase compared to 5 and 10 years ago.

Figure 1.1 shows that of the 627,553 total incidents, fire false alarms made up the majority of incidents with 39%, while non-fire incidents accounted for 32% and fires for 29%. The percentage of incidents that were non-fire incidents was similar to the previous year and 5 years ago (32% and 30%), but greater than 10 years ago (26%). For fires, the proportion was larger than the year ending December 2021 (27%), lower than 5 years ago (30%) and lower than 10 years ago (30%).

2. Fires attended

Fire incidents added are broadly categorised as primary, secondary or chimney fires depending on the location, severity and risk levels of the fire, and on the scale of response needed from FRSs to contain them.

Primary fires are those that meet at least one of the following criteria: (i) occurred in a (non-derelict) building, vehicle or outdoor structure, (ii) involved a fatality, casualty or rescue, or, (iii) were attended by 5 or more pumping appliances.

Secondary fires are generally small outdoor fires, not involving people or property.

Chimney fires are in (non-industrial) buildings where the flame was contained within the chimney structure.

Key results

In the year ending December 2022:

  • FRSs attended 183,209 fires, the largest total of fire incidents for a year ending December since 2011
  • the number of fire incidents showed a 24% increase compared with the previous year (147,347) and an 11% increase compared with 10 years ago (164,808 in the year ending December 2012); Source: FIRE0102
  • there were 67,014 primary fires, a 7.5% increase compared with the previous year (62,328) but a 13% decrease compared with 10 years ago (77,125 in the year ending December 2012); Source: FIRE0102
  • there were 113,645 secondary fires, a 39% increase compared with the previous year (82,010) and a 40% increase compared with 10 years ago (81,293 in the year ending December 2012); Source: FIRE0102
  • FRSs attended 731 fires in purpose-built high-rise (10 or more storeys) flats or maisonettes, a 6.5% decrease compared with the previous year (782); Source: FIRE0205

Total fires

The long-term picture shows that the total number of fires attended by FRSs decreased for around a decade - falling by around two-thirds from a peak of around 474,000 in the year to March 2004 to around 154,000 in the year ending March 2013. The total subsequently varied between around 150,000 and 183,000 (in year ending March 2019) between March 2013 and March 2022.

More recently, the number of fires in the year ending December 2022 increased by 7.7% compared with 5 years ago (170,058) and increased by 11% compared with 10 years ago (164,808). The total number of fires increased by 24%, from 147,347 in the year ending December 2021 to 183,209 in the year ending December 2022 (figure 2.1). This was the largest total of fire incidents in a year since the year ending December 2011.

The increase in the number of fires in the year ending December 2022 can be attributed to the hot, dry summer of that year, when there were 48,292 secondary fires in the 3 months July to September - the largest number of secondary fires in any quarter since April to June 2010 (49,635). Of the 183,209 fire incidents in the year ending December 2022, secondary fires accounted for 62%, compared with the last year (56%). The increase in secondary fires is further discussed in Fire and rescue incident statistics: England, year ending September 2022 ‘Total outdoor fires for summer 2022’.

Figure 2.1: Total fires attended by type of fire, England; year ending December 2012 to year ending December 2022

Source: FIRE0102

Primary fires

In the year ending December 2022, there were 67,014 primary fires. This was a 7.5% increase compared with the previous year (62,328), an 11% decrease compared with 5 years ago (74,943), a 13% decrease compared with 10 years ago (77,125).

Primary fires made up 37% of total fires in the year ending December 2022, 42% in the previous year, 44% 5 years ago and 47% 10 years ago. The number of fires that are primary (those considered to be the most serious or with a threat to life or property) has decreased over time.

There are 4 types of primary fires - dwelling fires, other building fires, road vehicle fires and other outdoor fires.

In the year ending December 2022, there were 26,979 dwelling fires, which has:

  • remained virtually unchanged compared with the previous year (27,043)
  • decreased by 11% compared with 5 years ago (30,464)
  • decreased by 20% compared with 10 years ago (33,805)

Dwelling fires made up 40% of primary fires and 15% of total fires in the year ending December 2022, a decrease of 3.1 percentage points and 3.6 percentage points respectively compared with the previous year (43% and 18%).

In the year ending December 2022, there were 13,578 other building fires, which has:

  • increased by 9.7% compared with the previous year (12,380)
  • decreased by 15% compared with 5 years ago (15,902)
  • decreased by 21% compared with 10 years ago (17,188)

Other building fires made up 20% of primary fires and 7.4% of total fires in the year ending December 2022, virtually unchanged and a decrease of 1 percentage point respectively compared with the previous year (20% and 8.4%).

In the year ending December 2022, there were 18,991 road vehicle fires, which has:

  • increased by 4.7% compared with the previous year (18,139)
  • decreased by 18% compared with 5 years ago (23,024)
  • decreased by 10% compared with 10 years ago (21,176)

Road vehicle fires made up 28% of primary fires and 10% of total fires in the year ending December 2022, virtually unchanged and a decrease of 1.9 percentage points respectively compared with the previous year (29% and 12%).

In the year ending December 2022, there were 7,466 other outdoor fires, which has:

  • increased by 57% compared with the previous year (4,766)
  • increased by 34% compared with 5 years ago (5,553)
  • increased by 51% compared with 10 years ago (4,956)

Other outdoor fires made up 11% of primary fires and 4.1% of total fires in the year ending December 2022, an increase of 3.5 percentage points and virtually unchanged respectively compared with the previous year (7.6% and 3.2%).

Of the 26,979 primary dwelling fires attended by FRSs, 73% were in houses, bungalows, converted flats and other properties (19,704), whilst 27% were in purpose-built flats or maisonettes (7,275). These proportions remain virtually unchanged since last year.

FRSs attended 731 fires in purpose-built high-rise (10 or more storeys) flats or maisonettes, a 6.5% decrease compared with the previous year (782), a 3.9% decrease compared with 5 years ago (761) and an 18% decrease compared with 10 years ago (894).

There are 3 types of purpose-built flats or maisonettes - low rise, medium rise and high rise. In the year ending December 2022:

  • 17% of primary dwelling fires were in purpose-built low-rise (1 to 3 storeys) flats or maisonettes
  • 7.1% were in purpose-built medium-rise (4 to 9 storeys) flats or maisonettes
  • 2.7% were in purpose-built high-rise (10 or more storeys) flats or maisonettes

3. Fire false alarms

Fire false alarms are where an FRS attends a location believing there to be a fire incident but, on arrival, discovers that no such incident exists or existed. These are broadly categorised by motive into ‘due to apparatus’, ‘good intent’ and ‘malicious’.

Due to apparatus calls are where a fire alarm or fire-fighting equipment operate (including accidental initiation by persons) in error. Good intent calls are made in good faith in the belief that the FRS really would be attending a fire. Malicious false alarms are made with the intention of getting the FRS to attend a non-existent incident.

Key results

In the year ending December 2022:

  • FRSs attended 242,756 fire false alarms; the largest total of fire false alarms since year ending December 2011
  • there was an increase of 8% compared with the previous year (224,729), an increase of 8.3% compared with 5 years ago (224,104) and an increase of 1.8% compared with 10 years ago (238,436); Source: FIRE0102

Fire false alarms by type

The number of fire false alarms attended by FRSs in England was on a general downward trajectory, from a peak of around 393,900 early in the 2000s to a low of around 211,000 in the year ending September 2015. Since then, there has been a gradual increase (see figure 3.1) to around 243,000 fire false alarms in the year ending December 2022. This was the largest total of fire false alarms for a year since year ending December 2011.

The proportion of total incidents that were fire false alarms in the year ending December 2022 was 39%. This proportion has been relatively stable over the past decade, varying between 38% and 44%.

Figure 3.1: Total fire false alarms by type of false alarm, England; year ending December 2012 to year ending December 2022

Source: FIRE0102

In the year ending December 2022, there were:

  • 166,500 fire false alarms due to apparatus, a 7.6% increase from the previous year (154,737), an 11% increase from 5 years previously (149,942) and a 2.5% increase from 10 years previously (162,407); Source: FIRE0104
  • 69,825 fire false alarms due to good intent, an 8.7% increase from the previous year (64,247), a 4.4% increase from 5 years previously (66,860) and a 4% increase from 10 years previously (67,122); Source: FIRE0104
  • 6,431 malicious fire false alarms, a 12% increase from the previous year (5,745), but a 12% decrease from 5 years previously (7,302) and a 28% decrease from 10 years previously (8,907); Source: FIRE0104

4. Non-fire incidents attended

FRSs attend many types of incidents that are not fires or fire false alarms. These are known as non-fire incidents or special service incidents. Examples include, flooding incidents, responding to road traffic collisions (RTCs), animal assistance and collaborating incidents, such as, effecting entry or exit and assisting other agencies (a complete list can be found in fire data table FIRE0902).

Key results

In the year ending December 2022:

  • FRSs attended 201,588 non-fire incidents, the largest figure for the year ending December, since the implantation of the Incident Recording System (IRS)
  • the number of non-fire incidents showed a 9.8% increase compared with the previous year (183,526), a 17% increase compared with 5 years ago (171,900) and a 45% increase compared with 10 years ago (138,738); Source: FIRE0901

Of these non-fire incidents:

  • FRSs attended 63,482 collaborating incidents[footnote 1], a 12% increase compared with the previous year (56,809) and a 68% increase compared with 5 years ago (37,681); this is the highest figure since the start of the IRS; Source: FIRE0901
  • FRSs attended 31,162 road traffic collisions, an 11% increase compared with the previous year (28,193) and a 4.7% increase compared with 5 years ago (29,761); Source: FIRE0901
  • FRSs attended 17,416 medical incidents[footnote 2], virtually unchanged compared with the previous year (17,515) and a 53% decrease compared with 5 years ago (37,335) when Emergency Medical Responding Trials (EMR) were in operation; Source: FIRE0901
  • FRSs attended 17,286 flooding incidents, a 3.8% increase compared with the previous year (16,659) and a 36% increase compared with 5 years ago (12,678); Source: FIRE0901

All non-fire incidents attended

There was a general decline in the number of non-fire incidents attended between the year ending March 2008 and the year ending March 2015 (see figure 4.1). This was followed by a large increase of almost two-fifths to the year ending March 2017, coinciding with the introduction of EMR and the duty to collaborate legislation. When the EMR trial stopped in 2017, the total number of non-fire incidents slowly decreased to around 155,000 in the year ending December 2020.

In the year ending December 2022, the number of non-fire incidents increased for the second consecutive year, to the highest levels on record. For the year ending December 2022, non-fire incidents increased by 9.8% compared to the previous year, with increases for all categories, except for medical incidents.

Figure 4.1: Total non-fire incidents attended by FRSs, England; year ending December 2012 to year ending December 2022

Source: FIRE0901

Types of non-fire incidents

Table 4.1 shows that while all main non-fire incident types increased in year ending December 2022 compared to the previous year, with the exception of medical incidents, this probably reflects the effect of national lockdowns in the first part of 2021, due to COVID-19. The effect of this on the comparator year will remain in the statistics until the data for year ending June 2023 are released.

Table 4.1: The largest categories of non-fire incidents attended by FRSs in England; year ending December 2021 to year ending December 2022

Non-fire incident type Year ending Dec 2021 Year ending Dec 2022 % change
Total non-fire incidents 183,526 201,588 +9.8%
Collaborating incidents 56,809 63,482 +12%
Road traffic collisions 28,193 31,162 +11%
Medical incidents 17,515 17,416 -0.6%
Flooding incidents 16,659 17,286 +3.8%

Source: FIRE0901, FIRE0902

The 12% increase in collaborating incidents, compared to the previous year, is a continuation of a recent trend of increases. Since 2015, the number of collaborating incidents has increased; trebling from around 21,100 in year ending March 2015 to around 59,600 in year ending March 2022. These increases have coincided with the introduction of the duty to collaborate legislation, see ‘Further information’ for greater explanation.

For the year ending December 2022, the 3 sub-categories of collaborating incidents each increased on the previous year, with:

  • assisting other agencies increasing by 14% to 27,573
  • effecting entry or exit increasing by 10% to 33,165
  • assisting at suicide attempts increasing by 11% to 2,744

Since the peak of medical incidents in the year ending December 2016 (45,682), the number has decreased and stabilized in the last 2 years to around 17,500 incidents. The decrease followed the removal of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) support for the Emergency Medical Responding (EMR) trials. The National Joint Council (NJC) supported the trials, which began in 2015, for FRSs to form agreements with ambulance trusts to undertake health and care related work, in particular co-responding (defined as Special Service calls where formal co-responder agreements are in place). In the trial period between year ending March 2015 to the year ending March 2017, there was a large increase in medical incidents of almost two-fifths. Following the withdrawal of the FBU support in September 2017, the number of these incidents decreased, though to a level slightly higher than before the trials. Medical incidents showed little change compared to the previous year.

The 11% increase in road traffic collisions (RTCs), compared to the year ending December 2021, probably reflects increases in road traffic, following easing of COVID-19 restrictions. Prior to the number of journeys being affected by lockdown, the series was relatively stable with between 27,000 and 34,000 in each year since data became available in the year ending March 2010. In the year ending December 2022, the number of RTCs has returned to broadly to the previous level (31,162).

In the year ending December 2022, there were 17,286 flooding incidents, which was:

  • an increase of 3.8% compared with the previous year (16,659)
  • an increase of 36% compared with 5 years ago (12,678)
  • a decrease of 8.4% compared with 10 years ago (18,871)

The number of flooding incidents has fluctuated between 10,000 and 19,000 since modernised records began with the Incidents Reporting System. Flooding accounts for 8.6% of non-fire incidents, which is virtually unchanged compared to the previous year (9.1%).

5. Fire-related fatalities and casualties

Fire-related fatalities are those that would not have otherwise occurred had there not been a fire. For the purpose of publications, a fire-related fatality includes those that were recorded as ‘don’t know’.

Non-fatal casualties are those resulting from a fire, whether the injury was caused by the fire or not.

As the Incident Recording System (IRS) is a continually updated database, the statistics published in this release may not match those held locally by FRSs, and revisions may occur in the future (see the ‘Revisions’ section for further detail). This may be particularly relevant for fire-related fatalities, where a coroner’s report could lead to revisions in the data some time after the incident. It should also be noted that the numbers of fire-related fatalities are prone to year-on-year fluctuations due to relatively small numbers.

Key results

In the year ending December 2022:

  • there were 252 fire-related fatalities (see figure 5.1) compared with 286 in the previous year (a decrease of 12%); Source: FIRE0502
  • there were 4 fatal fires in purpose-built high-rise flats or maisonettes, compared with 2 in the previous year - these 4 fatal fires resulted in 4 fire-related fatalities; Source: FIRE0502
  • there were 203 fire-related fatalities in dwelling fires, compared with 214 in the previous year (a decrease of 5.1%); Source: FIRE0502
  • there were 6,139 non-fatal casualties[footnote 3], a 2.2% decrease compared with 6,278 in the previous year
  • there were 2,564 non-fatal casualties requiring hospital treatment, virtually unchanged compared with 2,574 in the previous year; Source: FIRE0502

The number of fire-related fatalities in England has been on a general downward trend from the early 1980s when comparable figures first became available. There was an exceptionally high figure in the year ending December 2017 (see figure 5.1), due to the Grenfell Tower fire[footnote 4].

In the year ending December 2022, the number of fire-related fatalities saw a decrease in every category over the previous year. However, this decrease partly reflects the high number of fire-related fatalities in the year ending December 2021. In the quarter October to December 2021, there were 99 fire-related fatalities, which was the highest quarterly figure since April to June 2017 (the quarter the Grenfell Tower fire occurred in). In the quarter October to December 2022, there were 77 fire-related fatalities, a decrease of 22% on the same quarter in 2021. It should also be noted that the numbers of fire-related fatalities, whether annual or quarterly, are prone to fluctuations due to relatively small numbers.

Fire-related fatalities in dwelling fires are the largest category, accounting for 81% of fire-related fatalities. For the year ending December 2022, there were 203 fire-related fatalities in dwelling fires, a decrease of 5.1% on the previous year (214)

There were 4 fire-related fatalities in purpose-built high-rise (10 or more storeys) flats or maisonettes in the year ending December 2022. FRSs attended 731 fires in such flats or maisonettes, of which there were 4 fatal fires. This compares to 4 fire-related fatalities in 2 fatal fires the previous year.

There were 107 fire-related fatalities in single occupancy houses in the year ending December 2022, compared to 110 in the previous year.

Figure 5.1: Total fire-related fatalities, England; year ending December 2012 to year ending December 2022

Source: FIRE0502

Notes:

  1. Fire-related fatalities are those that would not have otherwise occurred had there not been a fire. Those where the role of fire was “not known” are included in ‘fire-related’.

Non-fatal casualties

The number of non-fatal casualties in fires in England has been on a downward trend since the mid-1990s. More detailed data became available due to the introduction of the IRS in 2009, and since then the ‘hospital slight’ and ‘first aid’ categories have shown the biggest decline.

In the year ending December 2022, there were 6,139 non-fatal casualties, a decrease of 2.2% on the previous year (6,278). This change in non-fatal casualties comprised the following changes in the 4 sub-categories:

  • a decrease of 3.8% in hospital severe casualties (538)
  • virtually unchanged in hospital slight casualties (2,026)
  • a decrease of 8.9% in first aid casualties (1,760)
  • an increase of 2.4% in precautionary check casualties (1,815)

Figure 5.2: Total non-fatal casualties in fires by injury severity, England; year ending December 2012 to year ending December 2022

Source: FIRE0502

Notes:

  1. These figures are for all casualties in fires, whether the fire caused the casualty or not.

6. Response times to fire incidents

Headline findings on response times have been included in Fire and Rescue Incident Statistics since the year ending March 2021 edition. Table FIRE1001 is published alongside this release and shows greater detail than this commentary, for example, breakdowns by time components. Full commentary and further tables for the year ending March 2022 can be found in ‘Detailed analysis of fire response times’

Key results

In the year ending December 2022:

  • the average total response time to primary fires[footnote 5] in England was 9 minutes and 13 seconds, the longest average response time seen since comparable statistics became available; Source: FIRE1001
  • there was an increase of 27 seconds for primary fires since the previous year; Source: FIRE1001
  • the average total response time to secondary fires[footnote 6] (which can broadly be thought of as smaller outdoor fires, not involving people or property) in England saw an increase of 30 seconds, compared with the previous year, to 9 minutes and 44 seconds; Source: FIRE1001

Response times to fire incidents

Total response time is defined as the minutes and seconds elapsed from the time of call to the arrival of the first vehicle at the incident.

The following incidents are not included in response time totals:

a. Road vehicle fires, where the road vehicle was abandoned.

b. Where the location of the fire was a derelict property.

c. Where an FRS learned of the fire when it was known to have already been extinguished (known as ‘late calls’).

d. Where the total response time for an incident was over an hour or less than one minute (to avoid erroneous data or exceptional incidents from skewing the averages).

e. Where the sequence of events (time of call - mobilisation - vehicle mobile - arrival at scene) in an incident is not recorded in a logical sequence, either through recording error (for example, a vehicle appears to have arrived before it left) or absence of data (null values).

Looking at the long-term trend, response times to fires have increased gradually between the year ending March 1995 (when these data were first collected) and the year ending March 2015. Response times appeared to have levelled off between year ending March 2015 and year ending March 2020, with the exception of year ending March 2019 (which had more incidents in general due to the hot, dry summer). For the past 2 years, response times have increased year-on-year. However, the increase in the year ending December 2022 on December 2021 is likely due to the increased number of incidents, due to the hot, dry summer of 2022.

Figure 6.1: Average total response times (minutes) by type of fire, England; year ending December 2012 to year ending December 2022

Source: FIRE1001

The average response time to all incident categories in the year ending December 2022 is the longest average response time seen since comparable statistics became available.

The average response time to primary fires was 9 minutes and 13 seconds, in the year ending December 2022. This was:

  • an increase of 27 seconds compared with the previous year (8 minutes and 46 seconds)
  • an increase of 36 seconds compared with 5 years ago (8 minutes and 37 seconds)
  • an increase of 1 minute 11 seconds compared with 10 years ago (8 minutes and 2 seconds)

The average response time to dwelling fires was 8 minutes and 1 second, in the year ending December 2022. This was:

  • an increase of 14 seconds compared with the previous year (7 minutes and 47 seconds)
  • an increase of 15 seconds compared with 5 years ago (7 minutes and 46 seconds)
  • an increase of 39 seconds compared with 10 years ago (7 minutes and 22 seconds)

Within the dwelling fire category in the year ending December 2022:

  • the average response time to fires in purpose-built flats/maisonettes was 7 minutes and 13 seconds
  • the average response time to fires in houses and bungalows was 8 minutes and 32 seconds
  • the average response time to fires in other dwellings was 7 minutes and 50 seconds

The faster response time to fires in flats may reflect the fact that flats are generally in urban locations, which tend to be in closer proximity to a fire station than in rural areas.

The average response time to other building fires was 8 minutes and 55 seconds, in the year ending December 2022. This was:

  • an increase of 7 seconds compared with the previous year (8 minutes and 48 seconds)
  • an increase of 30 seconds compared with 5 years ago (8 minutes and 25 seconds)
  • an increase of 1 minute 9 seconds compared with 10 years ago (7 minutes and 46 seconds)

Within the other building fire category in the year ending December 2022:

  • the average response time to fires in other residential buildings (such as, student halls of residence, nursing or care homes and hotels) was 8 minutes and 28 seconds
  • the average response time to fires in non-residential buildings was 8 minutes and 59 seconds

The slower response time to fires in non-residential buildings was likely due to FRSs prioritising fires with the greatest risk to life.

The average response time to road vehicles was 9 minutes and 59 seconds, in the year ending December 2022. This was:

  • an increase of 15 seconds compared with the previous year (9 minutes and 44 seconds)
  • an increase of 26 seconds compared with 5 years ago (9 minutes and 33 seconds)
  • an increase of 53 seconds compared with 10 years ago (9 minutes and 6 seconds)

The average response time to other outdoor fires was 12 minutes and 27 seconds, in the year ending December 2022. This was:

  • an increase of 1 minute 14 seconds compared with the previous year (11 minutes and 13 seconds)
  • an increase of 1 minute 43 seconds compared with 5 years ago (10 minutes and 44 seconds)
  • an increase of 2 minutes 48 seconds compared with 10 years ago (9 minutes and 39 seconds)

It should be noted that other outdoor fires are numerically the smallest of the main primary fire types, accounting for 11% in the year ending December 2022. The small number of primary outdoor fires mean that the response times are prone to fluctuation, so affecting year-on-year comparisons. These incidents increased by 57% from the previous year, reflecting the hot dry summer of 2022.

The average response time to secondary fires was 9 minutes and 44 seconds, in the year ending December 2022. This was:

  • an increase of 30 seconds compared with the previous year (9 minutes and 14 seconds)
  • an increase of 34 seconds compared with 5 years ago (9 minutes and 10 seconds)
  • an increase of 1 minute 22 seconds compared with 10 years ago (8 minutes and 22 seconds)

The increase in response times might partly reflect an increase of 39% in the number of secondary fires on the previous year.

7. Summary of changes over time

Table 7.1: Number of incidents, comparing the year ending December 2022 with one, 5 and 10 years previously

Incident type Year ending Dec 2022 Year ending Dec 2021 1 year change Year ending Dec 2017 5 year change Year ending Dec 2012 10 year change
All incidents 627,553 555,602 +13% 566,062 +11% 541,982 +16%
Fires 183,209 147,347 +24% 170,058 +7.7% 164,808 +11%
Primary fires 67,014 62,328 +7.5% 74,943 -11% 77,125 -13%
Dwelling fires 26,979 27,043 -0.2% 30,464 -11% 33,805 -20%
Accidental dwelling fires 24,229 24,380 -0.6% 27,213 -11% 29,959 -19%
Outdoor primary fires 7,466 4,766 +57% 5,553 +34% 4,956 +51%
Secondary fires 113,645 82,010 +39% 91,180 +25% 81,293 +40%
Fire false alarms 242,756 224,729 +8.0% 224,104 +8.3% 238,436 +1.8%
Non-fire incidents 201,588 183,526 +9.8% 171,900 +17% 138,738 +45%
Fatalities and non-fatal casualties Year ending Dec 2022 Year ending Dec 2021 1 year change Year ending Dec 2017 5 year change Year ending Dec 2012 10 year change
Fire-related fatalities 252 286 -12% 340 -26% 287 -12%
Fire-related fatalities in dwellings 203 214 -5.1% 269 -25% 219 -7.3%
Non-fatal casualties 6,139 6,278 -2.2% 7,199 -15% 8,616 -29%
Non-fatal casualties requiring hospital treatment 2,564 2,574 -0.4% 3,258 -21% 3,898 -34%
Non-fatal casualties in dwellings 4,523 4,785 -5.5% 5,352 -15% 6,910 -35%

Table 7.3: Average response times, comparing the year ending December 2022 with one, 5 and 10 years previously

Fire type Year ending Dec 2022 Year ending Dec 2021 1 year change Year ending Dec 2017 5 year change Year ending Dec 2012 10 year change
Primary fires 9m 13s 8m 46s +27s 8m 37s +36s 8m 2s +1m 11s
Dwellings 8m 1s 7m 47s +14s 7m 46s +15s 7m 22s +39s
Other buildings 8m 55s 8m 48s +7s 8m 25s +30s 7m 46s +1m 9s
Road vehicles 9m 59s 9m 44s +15s 9m 33s +26s 9m 6s +53s
Other outdoors 12m 27s 11m 13s +1m 14s 10m 44s +1m 43s 9m 39s +2m 48s
Secondary fires 9m 44s 9m 14s +30s 9m 10s +34s 8m 22s +1m 22s

Source: Fire statistics data tables

8. Further information

The start of the increase in collaborating incidents coincided with the duty to collaborate legislation, whereby each emergency service “must keep under consideration whether entering into a collaboration agreement with one or more other relevant emergency services in England could be in the interests of the efficiency or effectiveness of that service and those other services.”

This release contains statistics about incidents attended by fire and rescue services (FRSs) in England. The statistics are sourced from the Home Office’s online Incident Recording System (IRS). This system allows FRSs to complete an incident form for every incident attended, be it a fire, a false alarm or a non-fire incident (also known as a Special Service incident).

Fire and Rescue Incident Statistics and other Home Office statistical releases are available via the Statistics at Home Office pages on the GOV.UK website.

Data tables linked to this release and all other fire statistics releases can be found on the Home Office’s Fire statistics data tables page.

Guidance for using these statistics and other fire statistics outputs, including a Quality Report, is available on the fire statistics guidance page.

The information published in this release is kept under review, taking into account the needs of users and burdens on suppliers and producers, in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics. The Office for Statistics Regulation recently carried out a compliance check of the Home Office’s fire and rescue incident statistics against the Code of Practice and the results can be found in a letter to the Home Office’s Head of Profession published on the OSR website.

If you have any comments, suggestions or enquiries, please contact the team via email using firestatistics@homeoffice.gov.uk.

Revisions

The IRS is a continually updated database, with FRSs adding incidents daily. The figures in this release refer to records of incidents that occurred up to and including the end of December 2022. This includes incident records that were submitted to the IRS by 13 March 2023, when a snapshot of the database was taken for the purpose of analysis. As a snapshot of the dataset was taken on 13 March 2023, the statistics published may not match those held locally by FRSs and revisions may occur in the future. This is particularly the case for statistics with relatively small numbers, such as fire-related fatalities. For instance, this can occur because coroner’s reports may mean the initial view taken by the FRS will need to be revised; this can take many months, even years, to do so.

COVID-19 and the impact on the IRS

The figures presented in this release relate to incidents attended by FRSs during year ending December 2022.

In response to COVID-19, restrictions in England, Scotland and Wales started from 12 March 2020. In England 3 lockdowns which applied strict limits on daily life were imposed. A first lockdown was applied on 23 March 2020 and was eased from 15 June 2020, a second lockdown began on 5 November 2020 and ended on 2 December 2020 and the third began on 4 January 2021 and ended on 12 April 2021. The restrictions and lockdowns are therefore captured in IRS data for the comparator year.

Extra analyses on fire and rescue incidents during this period can be found in the year to March 2021 edition of this release, detailed analysis of fires attended by fire and rescue services, England, April 2020 to March 2021 and detailed analysis of non-fire incidents: England, April 2020 to March 2021.

Additionally, extra analysis on Detailed analysis of response times to fires: England, April 2021 to March 2022 is available.

Home Office publish 5 other statistical releases covering fire and rescue services.

These include:

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities also publish statistical releases on fire.

These include:

  • the English Housing Survey: fire and fire safety report which focuses on the extent to which the existence of fire and fire safety features vary by household and dwelling type; this report also focuses on whether people felt safe from fire in their homes by household and dwelling type

Fire statistics are published by the other UK nations:

Scottish fire statistics and Welsh fire statistics are published based on the IRS. Fire statistics for Northern Ireland are published by the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service using data from a system similar to the Incident Recording System, which means that they are not directly comparable to English, Welsh and Scottish data.

National Statistics

These statistics have been assessed by the UK Statistics Authority to ensure that they continue to meet the standards required to be designated as National Statistics. This statistical bulletin is produced to the highest professional standards and is free from political interference. It has been produced by statisticians working in accordance with the Home Office’s Statement of compliance with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics, which covers Home Office policy on revisions and other matters. The Chief Statistician, as Head of Profession, reports to the National Statistician with respect to all professional statistical matters and oversees all Home Office National Statistics products with respect to the Code, being responsible for their timing, content and methodology. This means that these statistics meet the highest standards of trustworthiness, impartiality, quality and public value, and are fully compliant with the Code of Practice for Statistics.

  1. Collaborating incidents include “Assisting other agencies”, “Effecting entry or exit” and “Suicide or suicide attempts”. ↩

  2. Medical incidents include “First responder” and “Co-responder” incidents. ↩

  3. For more detailed technical definitions of fire-related and non-fatal casualties, see the Fire Statistics Definitions document. A further breakdown of the different types of non-fatal casualties is available in the published fire data tables. ↩

  4. For more information on the Grenfell Tower fire and how the associated fire-related fatalities figures are recorded, see the Fire Statistics Definitions document. ↩

  5. Primary fires are those that meet at least one of the following criteria: (i) occurred in a (non-derelict) building, vehicle or outdoor structure, (ii) involved a fatality, casualty or rescue, or, (iii) were attended by 5 or more pumping appliances. ↩

  6. Secondary fires are generally small outdoor fires, not involving people or property. ↩

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