We can provide you with all of your fire risk assessment requirements.
The responsible person for the premises (usually the employer, owner or occupier) needs to carry out this assessment or appoint a competent person to carry it out on their behalf.
Find Out MoreThe Management of Health and Safety Regulations 1999 require a health and safety risk assessment to be conducted on a regular basis in order to ensure that the health and safety of residents and visitors...
Find Out MoreLondon is one of the busiest fire and rescue environments in the country. The London Fire Brigade (LFB) attended 137,412 incidents in 2025 alone — an average of 376 every single day. Of these, 19,542 were fire incidents, concentrated most heavily in Inner London boroughs such as Westminster, Newham and Tower Hamlets, though outer boroughs including Bromley, Brent and Havering also have notable hotspots.
For anyone responsible for a building in the capital — whether that's a shop, an office, a block of flats or a family home — understanding the current risk landscape isn't just useful background. It shapes what a proper fire risk assessment needs to cover.
Lithium-ion batteries are now the fastest-growing fire risk in London. LFB recorded 521 fire incidents involving lithium-ion batteries in 2025, a 28% increase on the previous year. These fires caused 109 injuries and three deaths. E-bikes and e-scooters, along with the batteries that power them, are a particular concern — LFB has even partnered with Uber Eats to raise battery safety awareness among delivery couriers. For premises where staff or residents charge these devices, this is now a risk that needs explicit consideration, not an afterthought.
Cooking and electrical faults remain the two biggest causes of fire, especially during the early evening. LFB data shows that between 5pm and 8pm, fires occur at more than three times the rate seen during the quietest overnight hours, with cooking (4,430 fires) and electrical faults (2,100 fires) the leading causes during that peak window.
Hoarding-related fires are rising too. Crews attended 1,028 hoarding-related fires in 2025 — the highest figure since 2022, and an 8% increase on 2024. Cluttered properties fuel fires, block escape routes and make firefighting far more difficult. This is a factor increasingly relevant to landlords, housing providers and anyone managing vulnerable tenants.
Vulnerable occupants face disproportionate risk. LFB figures show that over a third of people who die in dwelling fires in London were receiving some form of care, formal or informal. This has clear implications for care homes, supported housing, and any premises where residents may have reduced mobility or cognitive impairment.
Fire safety in London isn't left to chance. In 2025, LFB carried out 11,730 fire safety inspections and audits under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 — the piece of legislation that places legal responsibility for fire safety on the "responsible person" for non-domestic premises. Inspection activity is weighted towards central, east and south London boroughs, reflecting the density of commercial and residential occupancy in those areas.
Response performance also varies across the capital. In 2025, LFB's average first-pump attendance time was around five minutes 30 seconds, comfortably within its six-minute target — but this masks real variation between boroughs. Kensington and Chelsea saw average response times of 4 minutes 36 seconds, compared with 6 minutes 24 seconds in Hillingdon. Six boroughs, including Hillingdon, Bromley, Havering, Enfield, Redbridge and Richmond upon Thames, consistently sit above the six-minute average. If your premises falls in one of the slower-response areas, that's a factor worth building into your fire safety planning — particularly around compartmentation, alarm systems and evacuation procedures that reduce reliance on a fast brigade response.
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, anyone who has control of non-domestic premises in London — employers, landlords, building owners, occupiers — is legally required to carry out and regularly review a fire risk assessment. This isn't a box-ticking exercise. It needs to reflect the real risks present in your specific building: how it's used, who occupies it, what's stored there, and how people would escape in an emergency.
Given the data above, a fire risk assessment for a London premises today should specifically address:
A fire risk assessment carried out by someone with genuine operational fire service experience looks different from a generic checklist exercise. It considers how a fire would actually behave in your building, how people would actually respond, and where the real gaps are — not just what the regulations technically require.
If you're responsible for a premises in London and it's been a while since your last fire risk assessment — or you've never had one carried out properly — it's worth getting it reviewed. Get in touch with Whale Fire to discuss your building's specific risks and what a thorough, compliant assessment would involve. Contact Us - Whale Fire
To date, Whale Fire have carried out fire safety risk assessments at a number of our premises in central London and also at Gatwick, Southend and Bristol Airports. Richard provides us with a prompt, reliable and efficient service and I would be happy to recommend his services.
MoneyCorp - Ian Silverstone - Facilities & Premises Manager
Whale Fire completed a fire risk assessment and extinguisher installation on our training centre in Southwark. I found their service to be prompt and efficient as well as aware of the needs and restrictions of our site. They were quick to respond to our needs, despite delays from our end, the service was friendly throughout and they replaced only the necessary equipment. The risk assessment itself was detailed and has formed a large part of our on going risk assessments for the site. Construction Youth Trust will unquestionably use Whale Fire again.
Construction Youth Trust - George Dunstall - London & South East Manager
We used Whale Fire for our Fire Risk Assessment and their service was excellent. They took time to understand our business and explained the reasoning behind their recommendations. We will be using Whale Fire again and highly recommend them.
Alfra TV – Helen
Whale Fire Ltd has provided EastendHomes Ltd with a comprehensive batch of Fire Risk Assessments. Each assessment is unique and is site specific. Whale Fire Ltd has worked tirelessly to work within our deadlines offering valuable critic on document layout and fire safety matters. The Fire Risk Assessments are evaluated by our scrutiny panel – which we receive positive feedback. I feel Richard (Whale) is always there to discuss and advise on any matters relating to the Fire Risk Assessments and other fire related issues. His service has been professional and supportive. We are committed to ensure our residents are safe, and that we comply to the RRO(FS) 2005, and with Whale Fire's assistance this is being achieved.
East End Homes (Tower Hamlets) - Keiron Carroll - Housing Officer
We called Whale Fire after having used them for some Fire risk assessments to look at aspects of our testing and extinguishers and found them very professional and helpful with information on Fire alarms and how to test call points etc.
I would recommend them anytime.
Mark Rudling H&S Manager Wilcomatic.
The service from Whale Fire was professional, efficient and thorough. Great value for money for a well qualified and high quality Fire Risk Assessment. Our needs and considerations were taken into account and the assessor conducted a detailed and fair survey without disrupting the day-to-day work of the office. Highly recommended as a professional company.
Amy Johnson - Spectrum Enforcement Support Officer - Ofcom
I required the services of a professional assessor for a fire risk assessment on a new property for use as my private fitness facility. Richard was the first personal to contact me and his professionalism right from the start was excellent. He assisted me step by step through the process and has answered all questions relating to the procedure. Extremely professional - Thank you
Joel – Performance 18 Gym - NW London
Whale Fire are currently carrying out fire risk assessments across our residential portfolio. The reports are all site specific, easy to read and provide clear recommendations when further action is required. Richard (Whale) is both friendly and professional, and always happy to provide further advice when needed. I would not hesitate to recommend his company - they provide clarity and reassurance in a potential minefield for residential landlords.
Anna Nicholls - Marston Properties
We are extremely happy with the service provided by Whale Fire, and in particular the Fire Risk Assessment we were presented with. The service from start to finish has been exemplary and on a professional, knowledgeable, yet friendly level. We requested our Assessment at very short notice and Whale Fire were more than happy to fulfil our request and presented us with an exceptional report which was detailed and clear to understand. We would highly recommend Whale Fire and will be using their services in future".
Stacey – Scaffold UK Limited
Whale Fire were bought in to do a fire risk assessment on our new warehouse. The gentleman that visited our site was professional and most importantly very informative in everything he was explaining.
This helped greatly in guiding us in taking step to ensure our workers are safe. 10/10 - Would use again. Thank you for all the help Richard.
Luke