London Fire Brigade said its 999 control room handled 832 emergency calls on 5 November 2026, the busiest Bonfire Night for the service since 2016. The figure, published by the Brigade on 6 November, was one call higher than the number recorded on Bonfire Night in 2025.
Calls and incidents
The Brigade listed a range of call-outs it attended or which its control room logged. Control Officers were alerted to boxes of fireworks alight in Tufnell Park, Bartlett Park, Camberwell Green and Rainham, the Brigade said. Control also received reports of fireworks being held or misused in Rotherhithe and Lewisham.
Fireworks set fire to grass or trees in Islington, Battersea and White City, the Brigade said. Crews were sent to unattended or out of control bonfires across the capital, including in Lambeth, Barking, Rotherhithe, Mitcham, Kidbrooke, Feltham, Sutton, Uxbridge, Belvedere and Enfield.
The Brigade did not publish a breakdown of how many of the 832 calls were genuine fires, false alarms or requests for advice. The Brigade said the total was its highest for Bonfire Night since 2016.
Reaction and public advice
Assistant Commissioner Pamela Oparaocha said Control Officers and firefighters had “worked exceptionally hard” on Bonfire Night and over the weekend. She asked Londoners to help the Brigade use its resources wisely by attending organised displays, which she said are “far safer, cheaper and often much more impressive”.
In its safety guidance the Brigade advised anyone holding a private fireworks display to buy fireworks from a reputable licensed seller and to check for the CE safety mark. It said fireworks should be secured properly in the ground and kept away from buildings, trees, animals and people. The Brigade also warned that fireworks should be left to cool properly before disposal.
On bonfires, the Brigade urged people never to leave them unattended and never to start them using flammable liquids. The organisation said crews continued to attend incidents where bonfires had become out of control or had been left without supervision.
Ahead of Diwali, which coincided with Bonfire Night and was expected to see further celebrations over the weekend, the Brigade urged households to use battery powered LED candles rather than naked flames. It warned against leaving candles, incense sticks or oil burners unattended and reiterated the fire safety risks of open flames during festival activity.
The Brigade published the 832 figure as part of its wider message urging caution during the period when both Bonfire Night and Diwali festivities can lead to increased demand on emergency services. It did not provide a minute by minute account of calls, nor a precise tally separating urgent fire incidents from precautionary calls or false alarms.
Fire services nationally often face heightened call volumes on dates associated with fireworks, and the Brigade said its staff and crews had responded to a wide range of incidents across the capital. The organisation asked the public to favour organised displays and to follow its safety guidance to reduce unnecessary calls to the 999 control room.
Residents and those planning celebrations were reminded that safe storage and handling of fireworks, proper supervision of bonfires, and the use of safer light sources for religious and cultural observances can reduce the risk of injury and the strain on emergency services, the Brigade said.
