London Fire Brigade rescues 2,455 people across London in a year
The London Fire Brigade rescues 2,455 people between April 2025 and March 2026, with crews responding to everything from flat fires and lift entrapments to multi-vehicle collisions and incidents on the River Thames. The figures released by London Fire Brigade reveal firefighters helped an average of nearly seven people every day during the 12-month period, highlighting the wide range of emergencies crews attend across the capital.
The most common London Fire Brigade rescues involved people who had collapsed behind locked doors, accounting for 1,050 rescues during the year. Firefighters also rescued 379 people who became trapped in lifts. A further 247 people were rescued from fires, representing an 18 per cent increase on the previous financial year and averaging almost five fire rescues every week.
The Brigade regularly issues public safety advice, including seasonal guidance for residents planning outdoor cooking during warmer weather. Residents living in flats and other multi-occupancy buildings have also seen new evacuation regulations introduced as part of wider fire safety reforms.
July 2025 was the busiest month for rescues, with crews helping 258 people across London.
One of the most significant fire rescues took place in Perivale, where firefighters brought five people to safety following an e-bike fire in a ground-floor flat. In Havering, crews rescued nine people trapped inside a lift at a commercial property on South Street.
The figures underline the scale of the Brigade’s work as London’s rescue service. During the year, firefighters carried out rescues across 44 different categories of emergency incidents.
The Brigade has also continued supporting investigations into serious incidents across the capital. Following the arson attack on Hatzolah Ambulances in March, fire investigation specialists assisted with seven targeted arson incidents. Fire Investigation Dogs were deployed to help identify potential ignitable substances and support Metropolitan Police investigations. Following an attack on a synagogue in Kenton, a Brigade National Interagency Liaison Officer worked alongside partner agencies as part of efforts to identify the offender.
London Fire Brigade says it has been working with organisations including Community Security Trust while firefighters and officers continue engaging with communities across the capital and carrying out visits to locations that may be affected by ongoing incidents.
The Brigade regularly issues public safety advice, including seasonal guidance for residents planning outdoor cooking and information on the evacuation regulations that now apply to many residential buildings.
Further information about fire safety, prevention and emergency response is available through London Fire Brigade’s official guidance.
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