London Fire Brigade

04/09/2026

03/09/2026

60 years of Notting Hill Carnival!

Over the Bank Holiday weekend, we welcomed colleagues, partners and members of the community to North Kensington Fire Station for our annual Carnival brunch and open day, held in partnership with Prostate Cancer UK.

The day brought together music, performance, food and community, while creating opportunities to share important fire safety advice and raise awareness of the increased prostate cancer risk faced by Black men.

LFB colleagues also paused for 72 seconds in memory of the 72 people who lost their lives in the Grenfell Tower fire.

A massive thank you to Sub Officer Corneil Power, our Events team, the team at North Kensington Fire Station, Prostate Cancer UK, Volunteer Fire Cadet Instructors, colleagues and everyone who joined us in celebrating 60 years of culture and community.

Watch the film to see how the day unfolded.

02/09/2026

Firefighter takeover for charity 💪

Firefighters at Barking fire station will be climbing 110 floors of the Walkie Talkie building at 20 Fenchurch Street in 34.3kg of gear in remembrance of the 343 firefighters we lost in 9/11.

In doing so, they hope to raise money for The Firefighters Charity who do amazing work for current and retired firefighters and their families.

Donate here: https://www.justgiving.com/team/f43barking

PS: This was made entirely by firefighters at station, do you think we're out of a job?

02/09/2026

Today marks the anniversary of the Great Fire of London, one of the most significant events in the capital's history.

In the early hours of 2 September 1666, a small fire in a bakery on Pudding Lane sparked a disaster that would rage for four days and transform London forever.

The city was particularly vulnerable. After a long, hot summer, thousands of tightly packed timber buildings stood dry and ready to burn. Driven by strong winds, the flames spread rapidly through homes, churches, warehouses and businesses, overwhelming the limited firefighting methods of the day.

By the time the fire was finally brought under control, around 13,200 homes and 87 parish churches had been destroyed, along with landmarks including St Paul's Cathedral, the Royal Exchange and Guildhall.

Yet from the devastation came change. The rebuilding of London brought new building regulations, wider streets and safer construction methods. The disaster also highlighted the need for better firefighting arrangements, helping lay the foundations for the organised fire services that would follow.

This oil painting, one of the jewels in the Museum's collections, captures the scale and drama of the disaster. Painted around 34 years after the event, while many eyewitnesses were still alive, it may have been informed by contemporary accounts, offering a striking record of a moment that changed London forever.

31/08/2026

60 years of Notting Hill Carnival! 🎉

We were delighted to host our annual Notting Hill Carnival brunch and open day yesterday at North Kensington Fire Station, in partnership with Prostate Cancer UK.

The brunch, organised by Sub Officer Corneil Power, our Events team, Prostate Cancer UK and the team at North Kensington Fire Station, featured speeches from London Fire Commissioner Jonathan Smith, Sub Officer Corneil Power and Associate Director for Black Equity, Keith Morgan, brilliant performances of Reggae from Don Campbell, steelpans, spoken word and drumming workshops, delicious food, informative and inspiring talks on lived experiences of prostate cancer and an overview of the Grenfell Memory Project.

After the brunch drew to a close, the station opened its doors to Carnival goers, welcoming people in for music, face painting and arts and crafts, as well as discussions on fire safety and targeted advice from Prostate Cancer UK.

We want to say a massive thank you to everyone who helped to make the event such a huge success, including local firefighters and officers, Volunteer Fire Cadet Instructors, support staff and all who joined us in this celebration of culture and community.

Speaking on preparations for the Carnival, Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne added: “Staff from across London Fire Brigade have been working hard in preparation for this weekend’s celebrations at Notting Hill Carnival.

“Over the past week, our Fire Safety Team have engaged with around 200 local businesses, offering fire safety advice and support to help reduce risk and protect those attending and working at the Carnival.

“We have also undertaken extensive operational planning, with fire engines deployed in and around the area and close coordination with our partner agencies to ensure a rapid response to any incidents.

"We wish everyone attending a safe and enjoyable Carnival."

21/08/2026

We are pleased to be collaborating with Network Rail to provide grass and wildfire messaging at their stations.

Even with the weather cooling down, the dry conditions still pose a fire risk. Sharing our messaging with as many Londoners as possible is key, so utilising the high footfall of Network Rail’s stations has been a great way to make steps towards achieving this.

Find our full guidance here: https://london-fire.pulse.ly/mozhjpe2s6

19/08/2026

We are urging the public to remain cautious despite the drop in temperatures following a busy week for firefighters, Control Officers and support staff.

Last week, our Control Officers took over 9,000 emergency calls, mobilising firefighters to over 4,000 incidents.

Our Control Room took 1,782 emergency calls related to grass fires, 1,344 of which were reported by people in London.

The remaining 438 calls were taken on behalf of other fire and rescue services as part of national resilience arrangements to support each other during periods of pressure on emergency call operators.

The busiest day was Thursday 13 August, when temperatures peaked at 35 degrees Celsius and Control Officers took 2,081 emergency calls.

This included 754 calls taken in support of Staffordshire and West Midlands Fire Service as they dealt with a major incident in Stourbridge and a further 100 calls taken in support of Mid and West Wales Fire Control, Warwickshire Fire Control and North West Fire Control.

With temperatures dropping this week, we want to warn Londoners against complacency around preventing grass fires, as whilst the temperatures may be cooler, conditions are still immensely dry.

Assistant Commissioner Pamela Oparaocha said: “During last week’s heatwave, our Control Officers worked exceptionally hard, speaking to thousands of Londoners in need of our help, as well as callers nationwide.

"With many of our green spaces backing onto homes and infrastructure, our firefighters have made tremendous efforts in difficult conditions to keep Londoners safe from grass fires.

“Despite the drop in temperatures this week, London’s parks and green spaces are still extremely dry, so the risk of grass fires remains high. Our message to Londoners is not to become complacent - avoid the use of barbecues, dispose of ci******es safely and don’t light bonfires.

“We also want to reassure Londoners that despite the increased demands upon our Control Room and firefighters, we remain fully prepared and resourced to deal with callouts to any emergency across the capital.”

14/08/2026

Today, the government has issued a temporary ban on the sale of disposable BBQs due to the significant fire risk they pose, causing numerous wildfires across the country over the summer months.

The ban comes just a day after eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters were called to a grass fire in Mitcham yesterday, believed to be caused by a disposable BBQ.

Firefighters tackled one hectare of shrubs and grassland, including with wildfire beaters, which deprive flames of oxygen and cool them down.

Control Officers received the first call to the incident at 1346, and mobilised crews from Mitcham, Norbury, Wimbledon and other surrounding fire stations. The fire was under control by 1451.

Our Drone Team was also deployed to the scene, providing the Incident Commander with an aerial view of the fire.

An LFB spokesperson said, "This incident sadly proves disposable BBQs pose a significant fire risk - along with poorly disposed of ci******es.

"The heat from a disposable BBQ can be retained for many hours, even after we think we have put out a barbecue safely.

"Smoking materials need to be discarded of properly and either dispose of your rubbish in the appropriate bins or take it home with you if none are available."

Despite the weather cooling down over the next week, it is important to remember that the drought and extremely dry grass conditions still pose a serious risk of grass and wildfires.

Find our full guidance here: https://london-fire.pulse.ly/fjoolw2dre

08/08/2026

Did you catch Group Commander Dan Capon on the Harry Hill Show recently?

Dan (or 'D-Man') had the pleasure of joining the brilliant Harry Hill and special guest Melvin Odoom on the show to talk about the Theme of the Week, 'Firefighting', speaking about what London Fire Brigade typically do, key fire risks, community and safety work, and of course, cats up trees.

You can watch Dan's segment here (from 33:07): https://youtube.pulse.ly/pu3mb5jw7u

07/08/2026

As the warm weather continues, we are urging Londoners to play their part in protecting green spaces from fire, and minimise the risk to people, homes, livelihoods and London's infrastructure.

This Wednesday, Control Officers took over 1000 emergency calls in one day, including more than 200 calls to grass fires, and mobilised firefighters to 493 incidents.

This also follows a busy weekend, with 2,912 emergency calls handled between Friday and Saturday, with firefighters attending 1,460 incidents, 423 of which were grass fires.

Assistant Commissioner for Operational Resilience and Control Patrick Goulbourne said: “In these dry conditions, it only takes a spark to start a grass fire and they can spread rapidly, quickly threatening homes, workplaces, infrastructure and the environment.

"If you're heading to a park or open space to enjoy the sunshine, please don't take a disposable barbecue with you. Even after they have been extinguished, they can retain heat for many hours and pose a serious fire risk.

"Please also dispose of smoking materials responsibly and either use the bins provided or take your litter home if there are none available.

"If you're having a barbecue at home, keep it well away from fences, sheds, trees and anything else that could catch fire. You can also help protect your home by clearing away dry vegetation and garden waste and keeping combustible materials away from buildings.

"Small actions like these can make a big difference in reducing the risk of fire and keeping your community safe."

05/08/2026

The consultation phase of the Grenfell Memory Project closes on 11th August.

The purpose of the consultation is for the wider Grenfell community to be able to get in touch to make their opinions heard, understand whether the proposals are supported and any concerns there may be.

If you consider yourself close family of the deceased, survivors, part of the wider Grenfell community, or a resident across the five North Kensington wards, please share your views on our proposals on the questionnaire here:
https://london-fire.pulse.ly/jcftg9henv

01/08/2026

Bromley firefighters deliver hay-dration break to 30 thirsty neigh-bours 🐴

A few weeks ago, Bromley’s firefighters were called to help in an unusual way on a farm in Chislehurst.

Due to a burst water main locally, 30 horses on the farm were without water for several days.

The owner became concerned for their welfare due to the heat and called London Fire Brigade for help. With resources available in the area to assist, Control Officers mobilised Bromley Blue Watch to the scene.

Station Officer Mark Howlett, who attended the scene, said: “This was one of our more unusual callouts, but firefighters love animals and we were more than willing to help.

“Deploying hoses from the fire engine, our crew filled seven troughs with water ensuring the horses would have enough water for several days.

“Given the high risk of wildfires due to the continuing hot weather, we also watered the field to reduce the chance of it catching alight.

“We’re glad to have been able to help so many animals and this will certainly stand out as a memorable call out for the Watch.”

The Brigade was called at 1732 and one fire engine from Bromley Fire Station attended the scene.

31/07/2026

30/07/2026

Our busiest day of 2026 🚨

As temperatures topped 30 degrees and prolonged dry conditions continued, we experienced our busiest 24-hour period of 2026 yesterday, responding to the highest number of grass fires recorded in a single day so far this year.

Control Officers received more than 1,300 emergency calls, while firefighters attended more than 500 incidents.

Of these, 218 calls were to grass fires, with crews attending 63 separate grass fires across London yesterday. Over the past week alone, Control Officers have taken almost 1,000 calls related to grass fires.

Many of the incidents yesterday were significant, particularly in north-east London. Havering recorded the highest number of grass fires, with 47 incidents, followed by Barking and Dagenham, which saw 16.

Despite the increased demand, we maintained emergency cover across the capital, including Specialist Terrain Support Vehicles remained for grass and wildfire incidents, and water rescue teams covering London's 370 miles of waterways.

Assistant Commissioner Andy Pennick said: "The last 24 hours have been incredibly challenging for our firefighters, Control Officers and support staff, who have worked tirelessly in demanding conditions to keep Londoners safe.

“The public has an important role to play in preventing fires from starting in the first place. In these hot, dry conditions, grass fires can spread incredibly quickly, threatening homes, wildlife and the environment, while tying up vital emergency resources.

“Please don't use disposable barbecues in parks or open spaces, always dispose of ci******es responsibly and take your litter home if bins are full.

"If you're having a barbecue at home, keep it well away from fences, sheds, trees and anything else that could catch fire. You can also help protect your home by clearing away dry vegetation and garden waste and keeping combustible materials away from buildings.

“Small actions like these can make a big difference in reducing the risk of fire and keeping your community safe."

(Drone footage from grass fire in Romford yesterday afternoon).

Find our full grass and wildfire advice here: https://london-fire.pulse.ly/3j9gktj9sv