Sprinkler data highlights scale of school fires
School fires in England are occurring six to seven times a week, with new research linking their frequency and cost to the absence of sprinkler systems in most affected buildings.
The National Fire Sprinkler Network (NFSN) has published a report titled What is the Cost of Fires in Schools.
It states that between 2010/11 and 2023/24 there were an average of 350 school fires per year.
The average area of damage per incident is equivalent to one classroom.
Fires that start in the evening or at night are associated with much larger areas of damage.
Over a 30 year period, the likelihood of a secondary school experiencing a fire reaches 70%.
Costs of school fires and sprinkler performance rates
The report estimates that direct and consequential costs of school fires over the last 14 years amount to more than £126 million per year, or £282,200 per incident.
Direct costs include casualties, property damage, fire and rescue response and environmental effects.
Consequential costs include temporary accommodation and pupil transport to alternative schools.
The report also refers to wider impacts such as stress for pupils and staff, disruption to education, loss of coursework and effects on vulnerable children.
Government data cited in the report states that one lost day of education equates to £750 in reduced lifetime earnings.
The research concludes that in secondary schools a single day of closure is sufficient to justify the cost of installing sprinklers.
It states that over 97% of school fires in the last 14 years occurred in buildings without a safety system present.
Where sprinklers were installed and operated, they extinguished the fire in 71% of incidents and contained or controlled it in a further 27%, giving an overall effectiveness rate of 98%.
Terry McDermott, QFSM, MA, Secretary, National Fire Sprinkler Network, said: “Every week, schools are impacted by fire and every closure harms children’s learning and community stability.
“Sprinklers work, they are cost effective, and they prevent devastation.
“Protecting schools is not optional, it is essential.”
The NFSN is calling for sprinklers to be included as standard in all new and refurbished school buildings.