The data: how many incidents occurred
According to a study conducted by the National Foundation for Educational Research between 1,400 and 1,800 fires occur in UK schools each year, with causes ranging from kitchen accidents to electrical faults and deliberate arson.
In 2019 alone, Zurich Municipal, a leading insurer, reported that 480 primary and secondary schools endured fire damage, affecting the education of nearly 20,000 children and damaging over15,000m² of classroom space. Despite this, only 2% of affected schools had sprinkler systems installed, and 66% were rated as having poor fire protection measures.
We analysed government data of case studies from 2010 to 2024 and found that while most fires were contained to the room of origin, some required emergency responses involving over 100 personnel. The emotional and educational disruption was significant, especially for pupils in key assessment years.
Which rooms are most at-risk of a school fire?
Our study found that kitchens were the most common ignition point, followed by bathrooms, offices, and boiler rooms. These areas often contain heat sources, electrical equipment, or flammable materials, making them particularly vulnerable.
In several case studies, kitchen fires led to the loss of teaching materials, temporary relocations, and long-term emotional impacts. One incident displaced over 600 pupils, with temporary arrangements lasting up to two years.
Another fire in a nursery school caused complete smoke damage and required a full rebuild, reminding us that it is not just the flame itself that makes fire so destructive, and stresses the importance of compartmentation surveys to assess how well fire and smoke can be contained within different areas of a building—an essential consideration for schools with complex layouts or shared facilities.
Which measures are in place if a school fire occurs?
Sprinkler systems were the most commonly recorded fire safety measure. When installed and operational, they can be 100% effective at controlling or extinguishing fires in the room of origin until fire services arrive. Yet, uptake remains low.
Misconceptions persist. In their review, NFER found that many education professionals believe sprinklers are too expensive, prone to malfunction, or likely to cause unnecessary water damage. In reality, modern systems are compartmentalised, rarely misfire (just 1 in 14 million due to defects), and significantly reduce fire damage—losses in buildings with sprinklers are just 10% of those without.
Sprinklers also improve survivability by washing out carbon particles and maintaining visibility during evacuation. And while retrofitting can cost4–7% of a building’s value, installing sprinklers in new builds costs just1.8–3% - a cost often recovered within five years through reduced insurance premiums.
Beyond sprinklers, schools must ensure that other fire safety systems are functioning and compliant. This includes fire alarms, extinguishers, and- critically - fire doors, which should be regularly inspected and maintained.
As with sprinkler systems, misconceptions also persist about fire doors, with many believing that they maintain their efficiency indefinitely. However, a comprehensive fire door inspection will assess everything from door gaps and intumescent seals to glazing integrity and hardware condition. These inspections ensure that fire doors can contain flames and toxic smoke for up to 30 minutes, protecting escape routes and giving occupants vital time to evacuate.
How can we better protect our children from fires?
Fire safety in schools is a shared responsibility. For pupils, it starts with education - understanding evacuation procedures, respecting fire safety rules, and listening to staff during drills. For parents, it means ensuring children understand the importance and the sincerity of fire safety training. And for school leaders, property managers, and facilities teams, it means taking proactive steps to identify and mitigate fire hazards before they become emergencies.
Our research showed that most school fires start in just a few common areas, where electrical, flammable, or dangerous materials are most likely, and in many of these cases, proactive assessments may have helped to prevent the incident from occurring. This is why it is so important to make sure your fire assessment does not just check how compliant you are, if a fire does occur, it will make to make sure one doesn't. Summit Environmental supports schools and education providers with fire risk assessments tailored to their premises. These assessments go beyond box-ticking, they evaluate fuel sources, unsafe practices, and vulnerable individuals, including children and those with disabilities.
Fire safety in schools isn’t just about compliance - it’s about protecting lives, learning, and community resilience.
For expert support to maintain the safety of your facilities, get in touch with Summit Environmental today.
