The Statutory Committee provides a formal way for the panel to share their views and experiences. This helps the BSR to understand the impact of its work and shapes the way it regulates HRBs.

Independent chair is a voluntary role and Kernick will serve in a personal capacity. She will lead the Residents’ Panel in providing independent advice and holding the BSR to account, helping to ensure that residents remain a fundamental part of the regulator’s work.

Kernick has worked with organisations in high-hazard industries for several decades now. This has afforded her extensive experience in terms of organisational culture, systemic change and the prevention of catastrophic events.

Importantly, Kernick was also a resident of Grenfell Tower between 2011 and 2014 and is the author of ‘Catastrophe and Systemic Change: Learning from the Grenfell Tower Fire and Other Disasters’.

At present, Kernick director of strategy and culture realisation at celebrated built environment consultancy Arup, where her work includes leading a global programme focused on safety culture.

Effective and proportionate

Charlie Pugsley, acting CEO at the BSR, stated: “Residents are central to the building safety regime. Their experiences are essential in terms of helping us to build a regulatory system that’s effective, proportionate and concentrates on the people it exists to protect.”

Pugsley added: “I’m delighted to welcome Gill as independent chair of the Residents’ Panel and look forward to working with her and the Residents’ Panel as its constituent members help to shape and improve our work.”

Commenting on the appointment, Gill Kernick observed: “Residents bring a unique understanding of building safety through their everyday lived experience. By bringing this knowledge and insight together with technical expertise, we can help to create safer homes.”

Kernick concluded: “The Residents’ Panel provides an important opportunity to ensure that residents’ voices and expertise can meaningfully inform, challenge and refine the building safety regime.”

Supported by Headline Sponsor Apollo Fire Detectors and boasting a record number of 254 entries this year, the Women in Fire Safety Awards celebrate the outstanding achievements of exceptional women working across the fire safety industry, recognising those individuals actively driving innovation, leadership and higher standards.

Tickets to attend the Women in Fire Safety Awards are limited. 50% of the available tickets have already been sold. Don’t miss out on this fantastic event. Book your tickets online NOW at https://womeninfiresafety.com/2026/en/page/book

Further information concerning the Women in Fire Safety Awards 2026 can be accessed online at www.womeninfiresafety.com

Women in Fire Safety Awards 2026: The Finalists

Administrator of the Year

*Chloe Jenson (Bellrock)

*Emma Russell (CHPK Group)

*Hayley Saint (The Portmarnock Group)

*Isla Moffat (OCS Fire Protection Solutions)

*Jaheda Begum (Peabody)

*Jennifer Clark (Jensen Hughes)

*Lucy Magee (Apollo Fire Detectors)

*Melinda Young (Eastern Builders Safety Group t/a EB Safety Group)

*Nicole Brooks (Dean Morris)

*Rosalie Pilkington (OFR Consultants Ltd)

*Rose Hartwell (Churches Fire & Security)

*Zoe Parsons (Hochiki Europe)

Diversity Champion Award

*Beverley Parkes (RP Fire)

*Everyone at Swift Fulfilment (Swift Fulfilment)

*Gavin Skelly (Fire Aware)

*Isaac Mutunga (Soliton Telmec Limited)

*Lesley Leach (Chubb Fire & Security)

*Lucy Mather (West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service)

*Sam Boylan (RiskFire Ltd)

*Sarah Forbes (Design Fire Consultants)

*The Whole Team at Fire Dynamics Group (Fire Dynamics Group)

Excellence Award (Business)

*Charlotte Manley (C-TEC)

*Chloe Barker (Coltraco Ultrasonics)

*Emma Jones (Axion Consultancy Limited)

*Jennifer Whalley (Warringtonfire)

*Jessica Mann (Infuse Marketing)

*Jo Sheehan (Future Group)

*Kelly Nock (Xact Consultancy and Training)

*Melanie Tudor (The Fire Surgery Ltd)

*Monica Y Daniel (Fire Safety Consult Ltd)

*Nicola John (Fire Door Maintenance Training and Development)

*Sam Boylan (RiskFire Ltd)

*Shannon Berry (Firesense Ltd)

Excellence Award (Fire Consultant)

*Ayushi Subedi (Jensen Hughes)

*Catherine Owen (PartB)

*Davinia Potterton (The DALA Group)

*Emily Woodley (PartB)

*Gemma Osborne (Metropolitan Police Service)

*Gemma Pawson (Fire Safe Scotland Ltd)

*Katrina Merritt (City Building Engineering Services)

*Kristie Sullivan (Warringtonfire)

*Maisie Gleeson (OFR Consultants Ltd)

*Samantha Weatherley (Stantec)

*Sarah James (Bellrock)

*Sian Wilkes (Certified Pro Installs Ltd)

Excellence Award (Fire Engineer)

*Alice Pike (Mott MacDonald)

*Amadea Picciau (Tenos Ltd)

*Diana Prostire (Fire Dynamics Group Ltd)

*Dr Shuyuan Lin (Axion Consultancy Limited)

*Lindsay Fox (Unicorn Fire & Safety Solutions Ltd)

*Mabel Higgins (MH Fire Safety Ltd)

*Naomi Fell (SFA Fire & Security)

*Naomi Hooper (Mott MacDonald)

*Rebekah Moore (OHEAP Fire & Security)

*Zhujun Zhang (CHPK Group)

*Zuzanna Bialkowska (Axion Consultancy Limited)

*Zuzanna Feliszek (PartB)

Excellence Award (Social Housing)

*Claire Charles (Tenos Ltd)

*Heather Langridge (Southern Housing)

*Kimberley Prebble (Orbit Housing)

*Megan Major (Shellen Security)

*Stevie Cox (Global HSE Group)

Global Research Award

*Dr Brittany Hollerbach (Center for Fire, Rescue and EMS Health Research, Part of NDRI-USA)

*Fiona Cornfield (The Fire Protection Association)

*Margaret S McNamee (Lund University)

Inclusive Company Award

*Anstey Horne

*Axion Consultancy Limited

*Certified Pro Installs Ltd

*Chubb Fire & Security (UK & Ireland)

*Design Fire Consultants Ltd

*Energia Group

*Hoare Lea

*Mott MacDonald

*OCS Fire Protection Solutions Installation Team

*Trigon Fire Safety

*Women Talking Fire CIC

International Rising Star Award

*Dr Emelie Lantz (Researcher and On-Call Firefighter)

*Gizelle Danine Jamero (Arup)

*Paula Murphy (Jensen Hughes)

International Woman of the Year

*Aedin Hassett (Browne Fire and Security)

*Amanda Kimball (Fire Protection Research Association/National Fire Protection Association)

*Anne Wijayasuriya (Joule Group)

*Ashley Vargas (Barnard College, Columbia University)

*Beschi Jeyakumar (Sherwin-Williams Pvt Ltd)

*Bruna Esposito (Ramtech)

*Christina Alexandropoulou (Philip Morris International)

*Paula Murphy (Jensen Hughes)

*Pilar Sancho (Elmdene International)

Rising Star Award

*Alina Erkulova (Trigon Fire Safety)

*Chloe Flowers (Isoler Ltd)

*Demi-Leigh Perry (Abel Alarm)

*Egle Siusiene (Apollo Fire Detectors)

*Lauren Postill (City Building Engineering Services)

*Millie Botley (Vimpex)

*Momoi Suda (Arup)

*Nicole Allan (Design Fire Consultants)

*Pragati Yarlagadda (Olympus Management)

*Sabrina Goodall (Balfour Beatty)

*Samantha Wootten (Trinity Fire & Security Systems)

*Sareh Akbarpoor (Stantec)

Woman of the Year

*Alona Fedotkina (Kilnbridge Fire Protection)

*Clare Clifft (Birmingham City Council)

*Ellen Gaisie (Airey Miller)

*Isabel Elswood (The Fire Protection Association)

*Julie Sharp (Isoler)

*Kate Swinburne (OFR Consultants Ltd)

*Lauren Paver (Triton Group)

*Roxy Palmer (Churches Fire & Security)

*Ruth Oliver (British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association)

*Stephanie Rampton (The Regency Group)

*Tracy Gregory (Premier Technical Services Group Fire Consultancy Division)

*Vicki Swaine (3Safety)

Lifetime Achievement Award

This prestigious award is chosen by our Judging Panel of key industry bodies and figureheads. It will be awarded on the night to an outstanding individual who has made a tremendous contribution to fire safety during their lifetime.

Book your tickets online NOW at https://womeninfiresafety.com/2026/en/page/book

On 20 April at Brighton Magistrates’ Court, Markandayar Gowrikaran (the person having control of the premises at 20A St James Street, Brighton BN2 1RF) pleaded guilty to offences under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Specifically, Gowrikaran admitted failing to take the general fire precautions required at the premises, which he operated as an HMO.

On 20 July when appearing at the same Magistrates’ Court, Gowrikaran was fined the sum of £3,875, which included the statutory victim surcharge. He was also ordered to pay £7,075.31 to East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service in respect of investigation time and costs.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 places a legal duty on the ‘Responsible Person’ to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the safety of relevant persons from fire. This includes carrying out (and regularly reviewing) a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment, implementing appropriate fire safety measures on-site, maintaining fire safety equipment, ensuring escape routes remain available and protected and providing suitable information and training where and when required.

Inspection process

Fire safety inspecting officers from the ESFRS first attended 20A St James Street on 14 February 2023 following concerns raised by the local authority regarding the storage of fireworks within the ground floor commercial premises.

During their inspection, officers identified a number of significant fire safety deficiencies affecting the HMO:

*the fire alarm control panel was displaying faults across multiple zones

*missing smoke detector heads

*a manual Call Point that wasn’t securely fixed

*the removal of a fire-resisting door protecting the means of escape

*combustible materials stored within communal escape routes and on the external fire escape

*a kitchen door opening on to the escape route that failed to fully self-close

*an inadequately protected electrical intake that was neither secured nor enclosed within suitable fire-resisting construction

These matters were then brought to Gowrikaran’s attention, together with the requirement to undertake and record a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment process.

Despite informal advice, the issuing of formal Enforcement Notices and a number of follow-up inspections, insufficient progress was made to remedy the deficiencies. Inspections carried out between February and December 2023 identified many of the same defects, with substantial remedial work not being undertaken until the early part of 2024.

Increased risk

Article 32(1)(a) of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 makes it an offence for a ‘Responsible Person’ to fail to comply with the fire safety duties imposed by Articles 8 to 22 and Article 38 where that failure places one or more relevant persons at risk of death or serious injury in the event of a fire.

By failing to address all the identified deficiencies within a reasonable period, Gowrikaran exposed occupants to an increased risk in the event of a fire. Had a fire occurred within the kitchen or electrical intake, the absence of adequate fire precautions could have allowed fire and smoke to spread more rapidly.

In addition, combustible storage within the escape routes increased both the likelihood of fire development and the potential for the obstruction of occupants attempting to evacuate the premises on a safe basis.

Legal duty

Station manager (legal and enforcement) Jake Kaye said: “Those responsible for fire safety have a legal duty to carry out and record a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment. Effective fire safety management is essential to reduce the likelihood of fire occurring and to ensure that, should a fire happen, it can be detected quickly and occupants are able to escape safely. Escape routes must be kept clear and protected at all times.”

Kaye added: “We continue to find that many HMOs with shared communal areas don’t have a suitable fire risk assessment in place. This remains a significant concern. The fire risk assessment is fundamental to identifying the measures needed to protect residents.”

In conclusion, Kaye observed: “We hope this prosecution serves as a reminder that those responsible for fire safety must comply with their legal duties and with any enforcement action taken by the Fire Authority. Where they fail to do so and place people at risk, we will take appropriate enforcement action.”

George O’Reilly, assistant director of risk reduction, explained: “I would like to thank Brighton Magistrates’ Court for its careful consideration of this case, together with our legal team and fire safety officers for their professionalism and commitment throughout the investigation.”

O’Reilly added: “East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service has a statutory duty to enforce the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. We take that responsibility seriously and will continue to take proportionate enforcement action where failures to comply with fire safety legislation place people at risk of death or serious injury.”

Legislative changes

Legislative changes to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 brought forward through the Building Safety Act 2022 require all ‘Responsible Persons’ to carry out and record a fire risk assessment taking into account the risks from fire to all persons legally on or in the vicinity of the premises.

The requirements apply to all non-domestic premises, such as where people work, visit or stay, including workplaces and the non-domestic parts of multi-occupied residential buildings.

*Further support and information can be accessed on the East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service website at www.esfrs.org/fire-safety-legislation

In those instances where wildfires reach the urban fringe, the risk shifts from land and wildlife to homes, with firefighters facing extremely challenging incidents in which people have lost property and possessions as the flames reach residential areas.

According to the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), the reality of the situation is that the risk is growing faster than the collective capacity to respond. Climate change, prolonged periods of extreme heat and changing land use are creating more frequent, larger and more complex wildfires. As such, the NFCC has commented: “We must ensure that investment is not only sustained, but also enhanced if we’re to keep pace with the risks now facing our communities.”

At present, a significant number of properties in Stourbridge in the West Midlands have been lost or severely damaged. Further properties in Sandwell, Stoke on Trent and Pershore are severely damaged.

Traumatic experience

Phil Garrigan, chair of the NFCC, stated: “Our thoughts are with those families and communities who’ve been affected by these devastating fires. Losing a home and/or treasured possessions or being forced to leave your community is a traumatic experience that can have a lasting impact.”

Garrigan continued: “We also recognise the extraordinary efforts of firefighters, Control Room teams and support staff who continue to work around the clock in extremely challenging conditions to protect life, property and the environment.”

Further, Garrigan explained: “Recent incidents have demonstrated how rapidly fires can spread and how the threat is evolving. Wildfires are no longer confined to remote rural areas. Increasingly, they’re threatening homes, businesses and critical infrastructure as they move from open land into urban and suburban communities.”

The NFCC welcomes the Government’s recognition of the escalating threat through recent investment in specialist wildfire capabilities and the Prime Minister’s decision to convene COBR in response to the current conditions. “The support and recognition of these risks is welcome and reflects the seriousness of the situation we are facing,” affirmed Garrigan.

New reality

Garrigan went on to comment: “Our new reality is that risk is growing faster than our collective capacity to respond. Climate change, prolonged periods of extreme heat and changing land use are creating more frequent, larger and more complex wildfires. We must ensure that investment is not only sustained, but enhanced if we are to keep pace with the risks facing our communities.”

While Garrigan agrees that it’s right to focus on the ‘here and now’, the NFCC is calling for a long-term wildfire strategy that reflects the changing nature of emergencies facing the UK. This would include continued investment in firefighters, specialist wildfire teams, training, equipment and national capabilities, including a dedicated aerial firefighting capability.

“The cost of preparedness will always be less than the cost of recovery,” said Garrigan. “We must act now to ensure Fire and Rescue Services have the resources required to protect communities from increasingly severe and complex wildfire events.”

The public also has a vital role to play. “Many wildfires are preventable,” outlined Garrigan. “At a time when firefighters are responding to multiple major incidents across the country, the most effective action anyone can take is to avoid activities that could ignite a fire.”

Shared responsibility

Garrigan observed: “We all have a shared responsibility to protect our communities. By making sensible choices and following local guidance, people can help to prevent further devastation, reduce pressure on the Emergency Services and keep firefighters available for those who need them most.”

In conclusion, Garrigan stated: “Every wildfire prevented is a home protected, a family spared the heartbreak of losing treasured possessions and firefighters freed to respond to other emergencies. Public vigilance and responsible behaviour are every bit as important as any piece of equipment in helping us to tackle this growing threat.”

The West Midlands Fire Service was alerted to a significant grass fire at Stourbridge Golf Course at around 1.30 pm on 13 August. At the height of the multi-agency response, which is continuing, upwards of 100 firefighters, 30 fire engines and no fewer than 11 specialist teams were at the scene.

Having spread rapidly, the devastating fire impacted 37 properties, 19 of which have been destroyed, while a further 18 have sustained substantial damage. The incident has covered an area of approximately 500 acres.

At this point in time, the cause of the fire isn’t known. Specialist fire investigators are working to establish the circumstances.

Macclesfield Forest wildfire

A major wildfire in Macclesfield Forest was officially declared closed shortly after 4.15 pm on 27 July following an extensive six-day firefighting operation involving Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service and partner agencies.

The incident began late afternoon on 21 July and saw firefighters tackle a large woodland and grass fire across difficult terrain in challenging conditions. At the fire’s peak, crews worked alongside Cheshire Police, United Utilities and forest volunteers to prevent the fire spreading further through the forest.

Throughout the incident, specialist wildfire firefighters used a range of equipment and tactics, including beaters, water backpacks, hose reel jets, thermal imaging cameras, drones and an all-terrain vehicle. United Utilities’ helicopter also played a crucial role, carrying out repeated water drops on affected areas from above.

Operational activity continued around the clock, with firefighters remaining on scene overnight each day to monitor the fire, identify hotspots and prevent flare-ups. Due to the remote location and difficult terrain, firefighting efforts required careful co-ordination and a sustained response over several days.

An investigation carried out during the incident identified a discarded disposable barbecue as the most probable cause of the fire.

*Further information is available online at www.nfcc.org.uk

The fire at an industrial building on 15 April in Sutton Bonington, Nottinghamshire required 13 crews from three counties to bring under control. The blaze involved large quantities of industrial waste alongside buildings, timber and trailers. Firefighting operations didn’t conclude until ten days after the fire was first reported.

The Environment Agency has since launched an investigation, with part of its inquiry focused on whether the fire occurred on the estate itself or on land adjacent to it. It was the second fire in the area in eight years and the local MP has reported residents’ concerns over air quality, contamination and whether their health was being adequately protected.

Two weeks later, on 29 April, a fire broke out at a small industrial building in Bradford that handles rubber. The building itself was unremarkable in scale, but the firefighting response wasn’t. No fewer than 15 fire crews from across West Yorkshire attended with aerial support, while local residents were urged to keep doors and windows closed. The smoke plume was reported as far away as Brighouse. A neighbouring chemical plant temporarily halted operations so that crews could use its land to fight the fire.

Even the more recent fire at a recycling facility in Widnes on 23 June illustrates the point. The collection of products on-site was in the hundreds of tonnes, but the building itself was again unremarkable in scale. A total of 25 fire engines from Chesire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, North Wales and Merseyside attended the scene to contain the blaze.

Environmental footprint

When compared to fires in recent years, these were not large fires, but that’s precisely the point. A fire doesn’t need to consume a vast logistics centre to become a major incident. Fires starting in yards, in waste facilities, on adjacent land or in small ancillary buildings are increasingly tying up regional firefighting resources for days at a time, while their environmental footprint extends far beyond the site boundary.

Every such incident sends combustion products from plastics, rubber and mixed waste over nearby homes. Every hour of firefighting consumes vast quantities of water, with run-off carrying contaminants towards watercourses and land.

Further, every protracted incident leaves behind questions about air quality, monitoring and clean-up that communities are left to live with long after the crews depart. As the Environment Agency stated in relation to the Sutton Bonington fire, communities shouldn’t have to tolerate pollution.

According to the most recent fire statistics for England, industrial premises were the setting for 19,766 primary fires over the period 2014-2015 to 2023-2024, resulting in 1,071 casualties and 23 fatalities. Behind the headline figures sits a steady drumbeat of smaller incidents whose cumulative cost – in relation to firefighting resources, business disruption and environmental harm – rarely makes the national news.

Containing a fire at its earliest stage remains the best way in which to limit damage, protect the environment and minimise costs. Fire sprinkler systems have been proven to contain, control or extinguish fires in 99% of cases when caused to operate. A fire stopped in minutes doesn’t burn for ten days, doesn’t blanket a town in smoke and doesn’t generate thousands of litres of contaminated run-off.

Rethink required

What these incidents continue to show is that the Fire and Rescue Services’ ability to intervene in such industrial fires is challenged and the notion of a small industrial fire needs a rethink.

A fire involving a single building or a yard of stored materials can still demand crews from three counties, close roads, halt neighbouring businesses and leave communities worrying about the air they breathe. If incidents on this scale can flow from such modest beginnings, we should be deeply concerned about the far larger storage and distribution buildings being constructed across the country without sprinkler protection.

The pattern is a familiar one. Sites holding combustible materials such as waste, timber, rubber or plastics often lack the fire suppression and site management measures that would stop an ignition becoming an incident. By contrast, fires in sprinkler-protected buildings tend to be contained or extinguished before they can escalate, limiting damage, preserving business continuity and sparing fire crews as well as the environment.

Fire protection is environmental protection. As the ten-day operation at Sutton Bonington and the smoke over Bradford both demonstrate, the cost of a fire is never confined to the building in which it starts. It’s measured in the air above our towns, the water in our rivers and the weeks of disruption that follow.

Investing in proven fire protection is the surest way in which to keep that cost from being paid at all.

Tom Roche is Secretary of the Business Sprinkler Alliance (www.business-sprinkler-alliance.org)

The event takes place on 16 October at the Whittlebury Park Hotel in Towcester, Northamptonshire NN12 8QH. The AGM is an important date in the IFEDA calendar and provides members with the opportunity to hear the latest Trade Association updates, review progress over the past year and discuss the priorities and developments that will assist in shaping the organisation’s future.

The formal AGM will take place during the day and is followed by an evening event giving members the opportunity to relax, network and catch up with colleagues from across the fire protection industry.

The evening includes a private bar, entertainment, a live DJ and a special raffle, with members offered the chance to win a one year IFEDA membership for free.

Simon Lyons MIFSM AMIFPO (national general manager at IFEDA) commented: “We would encourage all members to join us for what promises to be an informative, enjoyable and valuable day for the IFEDA community.”

*Further details regarding timings and the full programme will be provided to members ahead of the event. Visit www.ifeda.org

In alignment with BS 8674:2025 Built Environment – Framework for Competence of Individual Fire Risk Assessors – Code of Practice, published in August last year, fire risk assessors should be able to maintain and demonstrate competence across a broad range of fire safety disciplines.

The new courses from the FPA have been developed in recognition of the increasing demands placed on fire risk assessors and ‘Responsible Persons’. They cover a range of emerging fire safety challenges: from fire door compliance and arson prevention through to electric vehicle charging risks and emergency evacuation planning.

Among the new additions is Regulation 10: Fire Door Awareness for the ‘Responsible Person’, which focuses on helping duty holders to understand their obligations under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. The course explores the purpose and scope of Regulation 10, inspection requirements for fire doors, common fire door defects, compliance record-keeping and when specialist fire door inspection or remediation may be necessary.

Importantly, fire professionals will also gain an understanding of the concept of ‘best endeavours’ when inspecting flat entrance doors.

Deliberate fire-setting

Growing concerns around deliberate fire-setting are addressed through the Arson Risk Assessment and Mitigation course. Participants will examine the causes and consequences of arson incidents, identify and assess vulnerabilities across different premises and occupancy types and learn how to incorporate arson fire risk assessments into fire risk assessment practice.

The course also considers how professionals can apply relevant fire safety legislation, standards and recognised guidance around arson risk and recommend and justify proportionate arson prevention strategies and mitigation measures.

Responding to the increasing adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), the FPA has also launched Assessing Fire Safety for EV Charging and Installation. The programme is designed to improve understanding of lithium-ion battery behaviour, thermal runaway and the unique challenges associated with EV fire incidents.

Learners will understand how to implement legislation, standards and guidance, including the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, BS 7671, IET guidance, the Electricity at Work Regulations and RC59 Fire Safety When Charging Electric Vehicles.

Additionally, they will learn how to assess EV charging installations and evaluate building proximity, construction and compartmentation in order to determine potential fire spread risks.

Residential fire safety

Residential fire safety is another key area of focus. The Fire Safety in Purpose- Built Blocks of Flats course examines current legislation and guidance around purpose-built blocks of flats within a modern legislative and risk-based context, including the Building Safety Act 2022.

Topics include technical duties and accountability requirements as mandated by the Building Safety Act, how learners can interpret fire safety legislation and guidance in relation to residential blocks of flats, identify and prioritise risks commonly found in purpose-built blocks of flats and develop proportionate and evidence-based recommendations capable of withstanding regulatory scrutiny.

Supporting improvements in fire risk assessment quality, the FPA has introduced How to Write and Understand a Fire Risk Assessment Report. This course outlines the purpose and legal status of fire risk assessments, reporting structure, action planning and the distinction between hazards, risks, control measures and significant findings. It also aims to assist course participants in identifying weaknesses in reports and improve the clarity and quality of their documentation.

Further training has been developed specifically for duty holders through ‘Responsible Person’ Roles and Responsibilities: Legal Duties, Evidence and Compliance. The course examines the core duties of the ‘Responsible Person’, the significance of Section 156 of the Building Safety Act and the increasing importance of competence, co-operation and record-keeping in demonstrating compliance.

Participants will be able to evaluate whether fire safety evidence and records are suitable, sufficient, current and capable of demonstrating compliance.

Fire doors

The programme also includes BS 8214:2026 – Understanding and Applying the New Standard for Fire Doors, which explores the key changes introduced by the revised British Standard, including its shift towards an evidence-led approach and the impact on installation and inspection.

The course considers how roles and responsibilities are defined across the fire door lifecycle and also how professionals can apply appropriate terminology when compliance cannot be confirmed.

Completing the new offering is Understanding Residential PEEPs and Person-Centred Fire Risk Assessments, which focuses on supporting vulnerable residents through effective evacuation planning. The course examines what Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) are, why they’re required and how to recognise when a resident may need support with emergency evacuation (particularly so where mobility issues or other impairments may affect their ability to evacuate).

The CPD training also covers the purpose of having a person-centred fire risk assessment and evacuation statement and considers what reasonable and proportionate fire safety support looks like in practice, taking full account of resident needs, consent, building risk and escape routes.

Sharing the importance of fire professionals maintaining knowledge through ongoing CPD, Richard Glover (the FPA’s director of training and education) explained: “The new training courses from the FPA are a key part of our ongoing commitment to supporting competence development across the fire sector and helping professionals in responding effectively to what’s now an increasingly complex regulatory and operational landscape.”

*Bookings for the FPA’s suite of CPD courses are now open. Further details of each CPD course can be found online at www.thefpa.co.uk/training

The data – collected by QBE from Freedom of Information requests made to UK Fire and Rescue Services in February this year – shows that UK Fire and Rescue Services attended 212 fires involving solar panels in 2025. That’s more than double the total of 91 recorded in 2022.  

The findings emerge as the UK’s solar panel ‘revolution’ continues to accelerate. In March this year, the number of installations surpassed two million for the first time. As of May, there were 2,047,225 solar panel installations stretching across the UK.

Safety and risk mitigation

Adrian Simmonds, risk manager at QBE Insurance, stated: “Solar energy is a key component of the UK’s clean energy future and QBE fully supports its rapid expansion, but safety and risk mitigation must be the priority.”

Simmonds continued: “Our research shows that fires are rising at more than double the rate of installations, with DC cabling and connectors being the leading cause. These fires are often spreading to the wider building. It’s clear that installation quality and fire safety are not keeping pace with the speed of deployment. Safe solar panel installation and maintenance procedures are essential when it comes to reducing the number of fires.”

QBE’s research highlights the fact that the majority of incidents involving a solar panel took place in residential buildings, with 102 fires in 2025. This comes at a time when the Government’s Future Homes Standard mandates all new-build domestic properties to include on-site renewable energy generation from March 2028.

As more households are expected to adopt the use of ‘plug-in’ solar panels, QBE is urging homeowners to ensure that all solar panels are installed safely, kept ventilated and remain accessible in an emergency.

Solar panel fires taking place at commercial properties have witnessed a particularly sharp rise (from 33 fires in 2024 to 48 fires in 2025). That’s a 46% increase. Industrial buildings also saw a notable jump, from six fires in 2024 to 14 fires in 2025 (an increase of 133%).  

The rise in commercial and industrial property fires comes as the solar sector is poised for significant growth. The Government’s Solar Roadmap places commercial and industrial rooftop solar at the heart of the UK’s ‘Clean Power 2030’ mission, with plans to accelerate installations across warehouses, retail spaces and industrial buildings.

Complex buildings

QBE welcomes this opportunity for renewable energy sources, but at the same time warns that precautions are needed to mitigate fire risks on large and often complex buildings. Robust design, cabling and isolation systems can help to prevent and control fires, protecting property and business continuity.

The Freedom of Information request data reveals that DC cabling and connectors were the leading cause of fires in 2025, accounting for 49 fires in total and almost doubling from 26 in 2024, followed by the solar panel itself (36), the battery bank (23) and the inverter (19).

Simmonds explained: “The rise in fires linked to DC cabling and connectors points directly to installation quality. Loose connections, damaged wires and faulty wiring lead to arc faults and other electrical failures. Every solar panel system, whether on a home, a warehouse or a solar farm, should be installed using MCS accredited installers and consistently maintained.”

The rapid adoption of lithium-ion batteries in solar panels is a continuing concern. Lithium-ion battery fires cause thermal runaway: a chemical reaction where batteries start to irreversibly overheat, usually due to impact damage, overcharging or overheating. Thermal runaway is unpredictable and ignites fires that spread faster and take longer to tackle than ordinary combustion, requiring up to ten times more water to contain than a conventional fire, thereby increasing the risk of injury and damage to property.

Recent research conducted by QBE also revealed that, on average, UK Fire and Rescue Services tackled a lithium-ion battery fire once every five hours in 2025. As battery storage becomes an increasingly common feature of solar installations, the risk of severe and fast-spreading fires is likely to grow.

Solar panel fires are not only becoming more frequent, but also more severe. The number of fires spreading beyond the solar installation nearly tripled between 2022 and 2025, rising from 33 to 88.

Key recommendations  

In conclusion, Adrian Simmonds observed: “Battery storage is now commonplace in new solar systems, but installation location is a critical and often overlooked risk factor. Units placed in confined or hard-to-access spaces, combined with infrequent inspection, create the conditions for fires that are both more likely and, what’s more, harder to contain.”

QBE recommends that homeowners and businesses should: 

*use certified solar panel installers (MCS-accredited) 

*conduct annual inspections and clean solar panels to prevent overheating or debris build-up 

*check that firefighters’ switches and arc-fault detection systems are correctly installed and accessible 

*avoid mounting solar panels on combustible roofs and ensure proper separation as well as the deployment of fire-resistant barriers 

*pay particular attention to DC cabling and connector quality at the commissioning stage and during annual service visits 

*ensure battery storage units are installed in well-ventilated and unobstructed locations that remain accessible for inspection and emergency response 

*inspect installations after extreme weather events such as high winds, hail or flooding

Detailed recommendations for construction professionals, property owners and installers are available in QBE’s Solar Panel Installation Risk Management Guidance, which can be viewed online at: Solar Panel Installation 2025: QBE European Operations

Injectaclad is a retrospective cavity barrier system: an intumescent material pumped along compartment lines within existing external walls to reinstate compartmentation where cavity barriers are missing or otherwise defective, and without removing the façade. It’s typically specified where an external wall assessment has identified the defect.

Light Science Technologies Holdings plc was already delivering Injectaclad on UK buildings through its passive fire protection division before the acquisition. It now owns the product as well as an installation capability, while also supplying the wider accredited network alongside it.

A dedicated distribution facility has opened at Light Science Technologies Holdings plc’s Manchester site, in turn shortening supply lines. The same location is being developed as a training base for the accredited installer network, which stands at 12 contractors across the UK, all supported on the same footing.

Additional operational and technical staff are being recruited at the Derbyshire headquarters.

Early trading since the deal’s completion points to demand. Five accredited installers committed to taking material through the group within a fortnight of the deal closing, while the first order following the acquisition was for a 19-week residential scheme in East Yorkshire.

Solid investment

Stephen Milward, technical manager at Injectaclad who joined the business before the acquisition and has stayed with it under Light Science Technologies Holdings plc’s ownership, said: “I’ve worked with this product for years. What has changed is the investment behind it. We have distribution, a training facility and more technical people on the ground. On a system where the quality of the install is everything, that’s what counts.”

Activity is concentrated in buildings both above and below 18 metres in height, with the product involved as a remediation system within schemes which have achieved Gateway 2 approval. Typical applications are multi-storey residential and student accommodation, hotels and care settings, school estates as well as modular and timber-frame housing.

As referenced, Injectaclad is a graphite-based intumescent pumped through small openings in the outer leaf along compartment lines to form a cavity barrier in situ, generally with existing insulation left in place. As the façade stays on the building, installation can take place from, among other options, MEWPs or scaffolding.

The system is tested to EN 1366-4:2021 with an extended field of application issued by UL International in May last year, achieving up to EI 120 depending on substrate pairing and cavity width.

For specifiers, the training investment may prove the most consequential part. The field of application requires installation by competent installers. A barrier formed inside a closed cavity is not open to straightforward inspection once complete, which puts weight on installer training and installation records as part of the evidence trail and golden thread of information.

*Further information is available online at www.injectaclad.com and www.lightsciencetechnologiesholdings.com

Behind the ribbon-cutting, though, resides a story of recovery from the devastating fire that tore through Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses’ Shay Lane site in Longridge. It’s a story that’s far from over.

It has been reported in newly filed accounts for the business that, nearly three years on, Butlers is still trading at only around 60% of pre-fire levels. Turnover for the year to September 2025 came in at £18.2 million, standing as only a modest rise on the £16.9 million recorded the previous year, while the company posted a pre-tax loss of £608,000.

Fourth-generation owner Matthew Hall has been candid about the scale of the challenge, describing the past year as one of resilience rather than resolution, in tandem warning that the effects of the fire are expected to continue for several years to come.

This is the reality that rarely makes the headlines. The fire destroyed the cutting, packing, warehousing and office facilities at Shay Lane. While the company’s separate dairy site kept production alive, rebuilding capacity has taken years rather than months.

Securing planning permission for the new £15 million cheesemaking campus wasn’t achieved until February last year, over 12 months after the blaze. The acquisition of the Hampshire Cheese Company in February 2024 was needed just to shore up soft cheese capacity in the interim. The new facility on the farm may look like a phoenix moment, but it was built on the back of a prolonged financial and operational struggle.

Not alone

Butlers is far from being alone in discovering that the road back from a major fire is measured in years, not weeks. A fire at the Baldock Industrial Estate in Hertfordshire in July 2023 destroyed upwards of 40 business units. More than 12 months on, affected business owners were still waiting for the site to be cleared, let alone rebuilt.

With 17 different owners across the estate, agreeing on a way forward proved as difficult a task as recovering from the fire itself, leaving traders in limbo and unable to return to their premises.

These cases illustrate a wider truth about fire recovery in unsprinklered buildings: the damage doesn’t end when the fire’s extinguished. Rebuilding, replanning and refinancing can drag on for years, hitting turnover, cash flow and jobs long after the story has left the news pages.

The number of primary fires in industrial premises recorded as food and drink processing facilities has averaged 100 per year in England over recent years.

Sprinklers change that equation. Where fitted, they’ve been shown to contain, control or extinguish a fire in 99% of cases in which they operate, protecting stock, structure and, crucially, business continuity.

Businesses with sprinkler systems installed typically find themselves back up-and-running within hours. Butlers’ experience shows what the alternative can look like: years of reduced trading, financial losses and a ‘next chapter’ that has taken the best part of three years to write.

Tom Roche is Secretary of the Business Sprinkler Alliance (www.business-sprinkler-alliance.org)