London Fire Brigade Headquarters
169 Union Street London SE1 0LL
T 020 8555 1200
F 020 7960 3602
Textphone 020 7960 3629
london-fire.gov.uk
Freedom of Information request reference number: FOIA5236.1
Date of response: 21 August 2020
Request and response:
How many fires at schools have you attended in the last five ful years (2014-2019 or nearest period, if
not available). Please provide a breakdown per year.
We have a record of attending the fol owing number of school fires in the last five years:
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
Total
Number of school fires
63
69
54
70
62
56
374
Of the school fires you attended in this period, how many had sprinklers fitted?
12 of the 374 fire incidents listed above have ‘FirefightingSystemType – sprinklers’ recorded on the
incident record:
2014
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Total
FirefightingSystemType - sprinklers
5
1
1
2
1
2
12
Please provide a breakdown of the causes of fire by year.
The main cause of the 374 school fires recorded between 2014 and 2019 are broken down as below:
MainCause
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
Total
Accumulation of flammable
1
0
1
4
2
0
8
material
Chimney fire
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
Combustible articles too close to
10
6
8
7
7
5
43
heat source (or fire)
Cooking – chip pan/deep fat fryer
0
2
0
1
1
1
5
Cooking – other cooking
6
7
2
8
4
5
32
Fault in equipment or appliance
10
13
8
11
8
13
63
Faulty fuel supplies – Electricity
11
14
10
17
11
13
76
Faulty fuel supplies – Gas
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
Faulty leads to equipment or
0
4
0
3
4
0
11
appliance
Heat source and combustibles
9
6
11
10
7
9
52
brought together deliberately
Natural occurrence
1
0
2
0
2
0
5
Other intentional burning, going
2
4
0
0
0
1
7
out of control
Overheating, unknown cause
4
3
3
5
6
6
27
Page
1 of
4
Person too close to heat source (or
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
fire)
Playing with fire (or heat source)
0
1
2
0
1
1
5
Unsafe use of equipment or
3
5
4
3
6
1
22
appliance (heat source)
Unsafe use of heat source - due to
2
0
0
0
0
1
3
knocking over
Unsafe use of heat source - due to
3
4
1
1
3
0
12
unsafe disposal
Total
63
69
54
70
62
56
374
For each year, please also provide a breakdown of:
type of school e.g. primary, secondary
The type of school where the 374 school fires took place are broken down as below:
PropertyType
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
Total
Infant/Primary school
33
42
32
38
35
35
215
Secondary school
30
27
22
32
27
21
159
Total
63
69
54
70
62
56
374
Any injuries or deaths
The number school fire incidents with injuries or fatalities recorded are broken down as below:
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
Total
Number of incidents with injuries
1
1
-
2
-
9
13
recorded
Number of incidents with fatalities
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
recorded
Total
1
1
0
2
0
9
13
Extent of damage to school
The damage spread recorded at the end of the 374 school fire incidents is recorded as below:
AtStopDamageSpreadSize
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
Total
External roof only
1
2
1
1
0
1
6
Limited to 2 floors (not whole
1
0
2
1
0
0
4
building)
Limited to floor of origin (not
2
1
3
3
2
0
11
whole building)
Limited to item 1st ignited
40
39
23
44
36
33
215
Limited to room of origin
15
13
18
15
16
13
90
Roof space and other floors(s)
0
3
0
0
0
0
3
Roof space only
1
1
0
0
3
0
5
Whole building
0
0
0
1
1
0
2
Not recorded
3
10
7
5
4
9
38
Total
63
69
54
70
62
56
374
Page
2 of
4
Age of school
The age of the school is not recorded on the incident record.
Whether cladding was present
The LFB do not specifical y record if cladding was present on an incident record. However we do
record if the property type has any specialist building construction as below:
SpecialBuildingConstruction
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
Total
Atria
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
None
60
64
47
65
59
49
344
Not known
2
3
3
2
2
2
14
Other
0
0
0
1
0
2
3
Timber framed
1
2
3
2
1
3
12
Total
63
69
54
70
62
56
374
How many of the schools at the time the fire broke out had received a low, medium or high fire risk
assessment (or alternative classification if used)?
As the enforcing authority under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order, 2005, (RRO) the Brigade
does not provide, or carry out fire risk assessments (FRAs) as this is the responsibility of the responsible
persons (RP).
However, as an enforcing agency under the Regulatory Reform fire safety Order (RRO) 2005), the LFB
operate a risk-based inspection programme for carrying out audits within London's building stock per
year. If a building has been audited by an LFB Fire Safety Inspecting Officer, the LFB do record a risk
score for the building on the fire safety audit record.
The table below shows the Fire Safety Audit risk score recorded on the fire safety records held for the
337 schools where the 374 fires took place:
First Fire Safety Audit
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
Total
RiskScore Outcome
Very Low
3
3
0
5
1
0
12
Low
11
13
8
20
21
9
82
Medium
19
29
20
17
18
16
119
High
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Very High
0
0
0
1
0
1
2
No audit data
24
14
16
20
19
29
122
Total
57
59
44
63
59
55
337
How many school fire risk assessments have you carried out in the last five ful years (2014-2019 or
alternative period if not available)?
Please provide a breakdown of the outcomes e.g. low, medium, high risk
As above, as the enforcing authority under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order, 2005, (RRO) the
Brigade does not provide, or carry out fire risk assessments (FRAs) as this is the responsibility of the
responsible persons (RP).
Page
3 of
4
as an enforcing agency under the Regulatory Reform fire safety Order (RRO) 2005), the LFB operate a
risk-based inspection programme for carrying out audits within London's building stock per year. If a
building has been audited by an LFB Fire Safety Inspecting Officer, the LFB do record a risk score for the
building on the fire safety audit record.
The table below shows the Fire Safety Audit risk score recorded on the fire safety records held for the
total number of Fire Safety Audits conducted at school premises between 20014 and 2019:
First Fire Safety Audit
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
Total
RiskScore Outcome
Very Low
6
13
13
9
12
8
61
Low
111
161
117
162
259
109
919
Medium
81
137
106
78
89
47
538
High
0
0
1
2
0
0
3
Very High
2
5
6
0
3
1
17
Total
200
316
243
251
363
165
1,538
This request has been dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. If you are dissatisfied by
this response you can request an internal review by writing to the Head of Information Management at
the address below (or emai
l xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx). Further information about your information rights (including how to raise a concern or make a
complaint) is available from the Information Commissioner’s Office on their website at www.ico.org.uk
or by writing to them at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.
Page
4 of
4