Carbon monoxide incidents double as LFB warns of “silent killer”
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) is warning people to ensure they are not “leaving themselves at risk” of carbon monoxide poisoning. This comes amid news that confirmed and suspected cases have more than doubled in the capital.
Between August 2024 and July 2025, data from the LFB shows that there were 1,714 emergency callouts for firefighters. THis is up from the 821 recorded between August 2019 and July 2020. In total, the LFB has recorded 7,764 incidents between August 2019 and July 2025 where carbon monoxide was either suspected or confirmed.
Recently, on 5th September 2025, firefighters recorded raised levels at a food court in Kensington High Street. The premise had to be evacuated and then ventilated before being declared safe.
During Gas Safety Week, the LFB is “urging Londoners to make sure they are aware of the importance of carrying out annual gas safety checks.”
“Carbon monoxide fumes are highly poisonous fumes that are produced by the incomplete burning of fossil fuels (e.g. coal, gas, oil, wood),” the brigade says. “CO is difficult to detect because you cannot taste, see or smell it.”
Fumes can be produced when household appliances including boilers, cookers, heaters, gas fires, and solid fuel burners are either faulty, have been incorrectly fitted, or not regularly serviced. It can also occur if flues, chimneys, or vents are blocked or poorly maintained, whether at home or at a commercial premises.
One of the causes behind a rise in incidents, the brigade says, could be driven by an increased cost of living, as people “seek alternative ways to heat their homes,” especially during the colder months. “Associated costs also mean that people may not be servicing their appliances as often as they should.”
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