3 publishers · first seen Thu, 29 Oct 2026 06:45 UTC · updated Fri, 30 Oct 2026 05:52 UTC
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) lacks sufficient resources to adequately protect the city's heritage sites from fire, City Hall has been warned. In 2025, there were 823 fire incidents in or within 15 metres of a heritage site, with recent blazes affecting the Battersea Arts Centre in 2015, St Mark’s Church in St John’s Wood in 2023, and Somerset House in 2024.
Experts including Professor José L. Torero of UCL and Charles Harris of Historic England say the LFB cannot realistically assess all historic buildings due to their complexity and limited capacity. Guidance from the LFB and fire heritage experts calls for a balanced approach between fire safety and heritage conservation, as many older buildings do not meet modern safety standards.
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