The mean response time to a primary fire in England was 9 minutes 25 seconds in the year ending March 2026, 19 seconds longer than in 2024/25. This page explains the official response-time components, variation between authority types and the limits of comparisons. Figures describe England and do not establish a single UK response time or a guaranteed arrival time.
It’s written for anyone who needs citable, up-to-date numbers on how fast the fire brigade actually arrives — journalists writing “postcode lottery” response stories, fire risk assessors justifying an evacuation or suppression strategy, councillors and scrutiny leads, insurers and facilities-management teams. Every figure is dated and sourced, and where a related topic has its own page in our statistics cluster we carry a single headline and link out rather than duplicate it.
Key facts and figures
- 9m 25s — mean response to primary fires in England in 2025/26, compared with 9m 06s in 2024/25.
- 19 seconds — annual increase in the primary-fire average; it was 45 seconds above 2015/16.
- 9m 58s — mean response to secondary fires in 2025/26, up 36 seconds annually.
- 68% — drive time’s share of the total; component averages were 1m 26s call handling, 1m 33s turnout and 6m 25s driving.
- 8m 15s — mean response to dwelling fires in 2025/26, up nine seconds annually.
- 12m 09s / 8m 21s — majority-rural / urban authority averages in 2025/26, a gap of 3m 48s.
- 67% of primary fires were reached within ten minutes in 2025/26; 78% of dwelling fires were.
- 30,601 full-time-equivalent firefighters in England at March 2025. Workforce and response statistics alone do not prove causation.
Checked on 15 October 2026 using the latest detailed annual response-time release. Response figures cover 2025/26, while the latest workforce release covers March 2025. Historical figures use the revised comparisons in the current response-time tables.
What is the average fire brigade response time in the UK?
England’s mean response time to a primary fire was 9 minutes 25 seconds in 2025/26, compared with 9 minutes 6 seconds in 2024/25, 8 minutes 35 seconds in 2020/21 and 8 minutes 40 seconds in 2015/16. These are consistent financial-year comparisons.
The clock starts when Fire Control receives the call and ends when the first vehicle arrives. It includes call handling, crew turnout and driving. The published averages exclude certain incidents, including late calls, derelict-property fires and response times below one minute or over one hour; they are not averages of every fire attendance.
Response times differ by incident type. The official analysis suggests address identification and the urgency of risks to life help explain faster dwelling-fire responses. Geography, incident mix and operational circumstances also matter:
| Fire type (England) | Average response | Data period |
|---|---|---|
| Dwelling fires | 8m 15s | Year ending March 2026 |
| All primary fires | 9m 25s | Year ending March 2026 |
| Other-building fires | 9m 12s | Year ending March 2026 |
| Secondary fires | 9m 58s | Year ending March 2026 |
All six reported fire-type averages rose in 2025/26, but this does not mean every individual service or incident became slower. Seven of the 44 authorities had a lower primary-fire average. A national mean is a descriptive measure, not a prediction for a particular address.
What are the three parts of a fire service response time?
In 2025/26, the primary-fire component averages were 1 minute 26 seconds for call handling, 1 minute 33 seconds for turnout and 6 minutes 25 seconds for driving. Their shares were approximately 15%, 17% and 68%. Published rounded components need not sum exactly to the rounded total.
- Call handling: 1m 26s (15%) — receipt of the call by Fire Control to alerting the station.
- Crew turnout: 1m 33s (17%) — the station being alerted to the first vehicle departing.
- Drive time: 6m 25s (68%) — first vehicle departure to first arrival at the incident; these need not be the same vehicle.
Compared with 2015/16, drive time rose 53 seconds while call handling fell one second and turnout fell eight seconds. Therefore, it is incorrect to say every stage has slowed over the decade. The data identify which components changed, but not the precise contribution of station locations, traffic, staffing or other causes.
Why are fire service response times getting slower?
The primary-fire average rose 45 seconds over the decade from 2015/16 to 2025/26. MHCLG says it is difficult to isolate the effect of individual factors. Geography, incident type, new developments and the positions of stations and appliances can all influence the result.
Drive time accounted for the increase in the component comparison, but longer driving does not by itself prove that every engine travelled farther. England’s workforce separately stood at 30,601 full-time-equivalent firefighters in March 2025, 14% below March 2015. These two trends should not be presented as an official finding that workforce reductions caused the response-time change.
On-call arrangements can affect turnout because firefighters may need to reach the station after an alert. The official analysis identifies a higher share of on-call firefighters as a likely contributor to rural turnout differences. It does not quantify a single staffing effect on the national response-time trend.
Are fire response times slower in rural areas than cities?
In 2025/26, majority-rural fire authorities averaged 12 minutes 9 seconds to primary fires and urban authorities averaged 8 minutes 21 seconds: a gap of 3 minutes 48 seconds. Intermediate-urban authorities averaged 10 minutes 48 seconds and intermediate-rural authorities 11 minutes 15 seconds.
Both turnout and driving contribute. Majority-rural turnout averaged 2 minutes 28 seconds against 1 minute 9 seconds in urban authorities. Driving averaged 8 minutes 7 seconds against 5 minutes 44 seconds. The driving gap was larger than the turnout gap, so turnout should not be described as most of the difference.
| Area type (England) | Total response | Crew turnout | Data period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urban authorities | 8m 21s | 1m 09s | Year ending March 2026 |
| Majority-rural authorities | 12m 09s | 2m 28s | Year ending March 2026 |
| Gap | 3m 48s | 1m 19s | Year ending March 2026 |
These classifications group whole authorities, not individual postcodes. They describe average experience across different geographies and incident mixes. Services plan for local risks and publish local performance measures; the national average is not a statutory target or a guarantee for an individual caller.
How often does the fire brigade arrive within 10 minutes?
In England, 67% of primary fires in the response-time distribution were reached within ten minutes in 2025/26, down 2.3 percentage points. The published percentages are rounded; the change is calculated from unrounded values.
For dwelling fires, the proportion was 78%, down 0.9 percentage points. Other-building fires were at 68%, road-vehicle fires 58%, primary outdoor fires 44% and secondary fires 63%. These proportions do not establish the causes of the differences or the outcome of an individual fire.
A mean and a within-ten-minute percentage answer different questions. Use both, together with local service data and the relevant incident type, when describing response performance. Neither establishes how long people can safely remain in a building.
What slower response times mean for workplace fire safety
Workplace fire precautions and evacuation arrangements should be based on the premises risk assessment and relevant guidance. A national average response time must not be treated as an available escape period: conditions can become dangerous before crews arrive.
Raise the alarm and call the fire service promptly, follow the evacuation plan and report missing-person information. Wardens should carry out only tasks that are safe and within their training, without delaying their own escape or re-entering to search. See our evacuation statistics for related evidence.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average fire brigade response time in the UK?
England’s mean response to a primary fire was 9 minutes 25 seconds in 2025/26, measured from receipt of the call by Fire Control to first vehicle arrival, with the official exclusions applied. It is not a UK-wide average or a guaranteed arrival time.
How long does the fire brigade take to arrive at a house fire?
The England dwelling-fire mean was 8 minutes 15 seconds in 2025/26, compared with 8 minutes 6 seconds in 2024/25. Individual incidents vary.
Why are fire service response times getting slower?
The primary-fire mean rose 45 seconds between 2015/16 and 2025/26, with driving up 53 seconds while call handling and turnout fell. MHCLG says the effects of individual causes are difficult to isolate; the figures do not prove a single staffing or station-closure explanation.
Are fire response times slower in rural areas than cities?
Yes, at authority-group level. Majority-rural authorities averaged 12 minutes 9 seconds in 2025/26 and urban authorities 8 minutes 21 seconds. Both driving and turnout contribute; the driving gap was larger.
Is there a legal target for fire brigade response times in England?
There is no single statutory national arrival-time target for England. Services plan and assess their response against local risks and arrangements. The published England mean is a statistical measure, not a legal standard.
Where do UK fire service response-time statistics come from?
MHCLG’s detailed analysis and FIRE1001–FIRE1004 tables provide England response times and definitions. Workforce figures come from the separate March 2025 workforce release.
If you’re responsible for fire safety at work, these numbers set the context: a nine-minute-plus average response means the first minutes of a fire are yours to manage. Our Fire Warden Training course covers evacuation, room sweeps, assembly-point management and first-response firefighting — £18 per learner, RoSPA approved and CPD accredited, 60 to 90 minutes online, with an instant certificate on passing and bulk discounts from 10 delegates.
Related guides
- Fire and Rescue Service Statistics UK: Incidents, Stations & Staffing
- Fire Evacuation Statistics UK: Rescues, Drills & Behaviour Data
- High-Rise Fire Statistics UK: Incidents, Cladding & Evacuation
- Fire Door Statistics UK: Inspection, Failure & Compliance Data
- Fire marshal responsibilities: the complete UK duties list
Sources & references
- MHCLG — Detailed fire and response-time analysis, England 2025/26
- MHCLG — FIRE1001–FIRE1004 response-time tables
- MHCLG — Fire workforce and pensions, England March 2025
- GOV.UK — Fire and Rescue National Framework for England
- GOV.UK — Workplace evacuation arrangements
A nine-minute average response means the first minutes of a fire are yours to manage — get your team certified with accredited, workplace-ready training.
Explore the Fire Warden Training course →
Mark writes about workplace health & safety, fire safety and accredited online training for Fire Warden Training, part of Online CPD Academy.