A House of Lords committee warned that fire safety in prisons isn't receiving the attention it needs. There are repeated delays to safety improvements, and gaps in oversight that put additional pressures on an already high-risk environment.
In its latest report, Fire Safety in Prisons, the Justice and Home Affairs Committee has called on the Government and His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) to improve transparency, strengthen their fire safety inspections and address the long-standing issues across prisons.
The report highlights 2,932 recorded prison fires during 2024/25, as well as ongoing delays to the installation of automatic fire detection (AFD) in cells.
HMPPS had previously committed to installing AFD in all cells in England by the end of 2027, but in March 2026, it announced that it would no longer meet this deadline.
The reasons for this were put down to previous underinvestment, the failure of a contractor responsible for the work and a lack of prison capacity. The committee questioned why these challenges had not been anticipated and worked around, particularly given the overcrowding across prisons.
It is now calling for the Government to publish a clear plan for AFD installation and provide annual updates on progress.
Alongside detection improvements, the committee highlighted the importance of preventing fires from starting in the first place.
It recognised the Safer Vape Pen project, introduced by HMPPS to reduce fires that are started from vapes. The pens include safety features designed to prevent fires starting and have contributed to a significant reduction in these incidents.
However, the report warns that wider issues, including overcrowding, poor mental health support and a lack of purposeful activity, continue to contribute to fire risks.
Concerns were also raised about the consistency of fire drills and staff training across the prison estate.
The committee pointed to the response to a fire at HMP Highpoint as an example of effective action by prison staff and emergency services. However, it questioned whether similar responses could be relied upon elsewhere, particularly amid ongoing staff shortages.
The report also raises concerns about how effectively fire safety is monitored and enforced across publicly run prisons.
Prisons benefit from Crown Immunity, meaning they are generally protected from criminal prosecution. Fire safety is not currently among the exceptions to this protection.
The Crown Premises Fire Safety Inspectorate (CPFSI), responsible for inspecting fire safety across Crown Premises, has just 11 staff members and limited enforcement powers.
The committee has recommended giving the inspectorate greater resources and stronger enforcement powers. It has also called for a review of Crown Immunity as it applies to fire safety in prisons.
Lord Foster of Bath, Chair of the Justice and Home Affairs Committee, criticised HMPPS for its lack of transparency around fire safety improvements and repeated delays to the installation of detection equipment.
He also raised concerns that senior officials were not doing enough to identify and share effective fire prevention practices across prisons.
The committee believes that greater accountability, stronger oversight and more consistent staff training are needed to address the risks.
With thousands of fires already being recorded each year, the report calls on the Government to take action rather than allow further delays to continue.
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