Over 56,000 emergency callouts for false alarms in purpose-built flats

Drax Technology, the provider of advanced fire software, found that on more than 13,500 occasions in the last year, the alarms were triggered by burnt toast or other types of cooking and were by far the main reason for callouts. Other main causes were due to the alarm being needlessly or carelessly set-off, or due to steam.  

But on 12,232 occasions, the alarm was found to be faulty, damaged, poorly maintained or incorrectly positioned. 

On five separate occasions, more than 15 fire and rescue vehicles were mobilised, underlining the scale of resources that can be tied-up responding to false alarms.

Drax Technology said the figures highlight a wider issue. While fire alarm systems must be correctly installed and maintained, many property teams still lack the visibility needed to investigate alarm activations quickly and determine whether they’re responding to a genuine fire or a false alarm.

The company added that remote management technology can help property teams identify recurring faults and reduce inconvenience for residents. 

David Simpson, Group Product Director at Drax Technology said: “False fire alarms disrupt residents, create extra work for on-site property teams and, if they happen too often, lead to ‘alarm fatigue’, where people become less likely to react when an alarm sounds.

“Every alarm needs to be investigated rapidly and giving teams the right information from the outset makes that much easier. The sooner they understand what’s happened, the sooner they can rule out a false alarm or respond to a genuine incident, reducing unnecessary disruption.

“If it’s a genuine emergency, teams need confidence that critical life safety systems, such as fire doors and smoke control systems, are operating as they should.

“Every alarm generates valuable data. Capturing that information within a single digital platform helps property managers understand why alarms occur, identify recurring faults and target maintenance more effectively. Over time, that insight helps reduce repeat incidents and improve fire safety across entire portfolios.”

Nationally in England, fire and rescue services attended 255,047 false fire alarms across all property types in the year ending March 2026, meaning incidents purpose-built flats accounted for around 22%, one in five, of all false alarms.

Simpson added: “For Build to Rent and PBSA operators responsible for multiple buildings and thousands of residents, that insight creates greater control over fire safety. Rather than treating every alarm as an isolated event, teams can respond more effectively, learn from what happened and build a stronger ‘Golden Thread’ of how each incident was managed.”

There is no standard national charge for fire services attending false fire alarms. However, some fire and rescue services apply cost-recovery charges of up to around £417 per call-out, typically from the fourth false alarm onwards, and only in specific circumstances, such as at non-domestic premises (e.g. commercial buildings). It is widely reported that false alarms cost around £1bn per year. 

Data set used for this press release: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fire-statistics-incident-level-datasets: False alarms dataset 2025-26