FOI Request 2307

Subject: Incidents at Religious Building Locations

Status: Complete

Date received: March 2026

Question Asked:

Please provide the following information:

The number of incidents attended at church or other religious building locations since 1 January 2018, broken down by year and by incident type (e.g., accidental fire, deliberate fire, false alarm).
Confirmation of whether your incident recording system has a specific location type field for religious sites (church, mosque, synagogue, temple, etc.).
Copies of any guidance or policy documents used by your service regarding the recording of incidents at places of worship.

Our Response:

Please see our response to your Freedom of Information Request below:

1. The number of incidents attended at church or other religious building locations since 1 January 2018, broken down by year and by incident type (e.g., accidental fire, deliberate fire, false alarm).

Inc Number	Station Area	Time of Call	Incident Category	Property Category	Property Type	Fire Cause
1801008573	Warrington	29/01/2018 01:55:09	False Alarm	Non Residential - Religious	Church / Chapel	N/A
1803001685	Chester	05/03/2018 06:43:34	False Alarm	Non-Residential - Religious	Church / Chapel	N/A
1805003719	Widnes	11/05/2018 14:32:30	Fire	Non-Residential - Religious	Church / Chapel	Accidental
1806003790	Knutsford	10/06/2018 10:31:12	False Alarm	Non-Residential - Religious	Church / Chapel	N/A
1810004387	Birchwood	13/10/2018 09:53:46	Fire	Non-Residential - Religious	Church / Chapel	Accidental
1811000685	Winsford	02/11/2018 20:14:28	False Alarm	Non-Residential - Religious	Church / Chapel	N/A
1811004878	Northwich	11/11/2018 19:01:46	False Alarm	Non-Residential - Religious	Church / Chapel	N/A
1901000712	Widnes	03/01/2019 11:34:16	Fire	Non-Residential - Religious	Church / Chapel	Accidental
1902001078	Northwich	04/02/2019 15:05:07	Fire	Non-Residential - Religious	Church / Chapel	Accidental
1902003423	Ellesmere Port	11/02/2019 18:34:40	False Alarm	Non-Residential - Religious	Church / Chapel	N/A
1905010307	Ellesmere Port	28/05/2019 13:16:33	Fire	Non-Residential - Religious	Church / Chapel	Accidental
1907008791	Malpas	24/07/2019 01:39:13	False Alarm	Non-Residential - Religious	Church / Chapel	N/A
1908010633	Widnes	31/08/2019 00:54:06	False Alarm	Non-Residential - Religious	Church / Chapel	N/A
1912008756	Crewe	29/12/2019 10:21:12	Fire	Non-Residential - Religious	Church / Chapel	Accidental
2001009071	Runcorn	31/01/2020 17:18:32	Special Service	Non-Residential - Religious	Church / Chapel	N/A
2007002267	Warrington	08/07/2020 00:51:33	False Alarm	Non-Residential - Religious	Church / Chapel	N/A
2105009568	Crewe	29/05/2021 21:56:00	Fire	Non-Residential - Religious	Church / Chapel	Deliberate
2109011262	Penketh	29/09/2021 15:52:05	Fire	Non-Residential - Religious	Church / Chapel	Accidental
2112001803	Chester	06/12/2021 00:40:50	False Alarm	Non-Residential - Religious	Church / Chapel	N/A
2203000354	Chester	01/03/2022 23:11:44	Special Service	Non-Residential - Religious	Cathedral	N/A
2205003561	Chester	10/05/2022 15:27:08	Fire	Non-Residential - Religious	Church / Chapel	Accidental
2206003987	Nantwich	11/06/2022 15:39:32	Special Service	Non-Residential - Religious	Church / Chapel	N/A
2206006511	Chester	16/06/2022 21:27:39	False Alarm	Non-Residential - Religious	Cathedral	N/A
2211003668	Chester	09/11/2022 08:38:21	Fire	Non-Residential - Religious	Church / Chapel	Accidental
2212010283	Ellesmere Port	26/12/2022 20:05:39	Fire	Non-Residential - Religious	Church / Chapel	Deliberate
2303010814	Chester	31/03/2023 22:28:56	False Alarm	Non Residential - Religious	Cathedral	N/A
2304003004	Macclesfield	08/04/2023 16:30:46	False Alarm	Non-Residential - Religious	Church / Chapel	N/A
2305002854	Chester	07/05/2023 14:05:09	False Alarm	Non-Residential - Religious	Mosque	N/A
2311009135	Chester	23/11/2023 21:37:56	False Alarm	Non-Residential - Religious	Church / Chapel	N/A
2312004275	Stockton Heath	12/12/2023 07:31:31	Special Service	Non-Residential - Religious	Church / Chapel	N/A
2401002169	Macclesfield	07/01/2024 12:12:59	Special Service	Non-Residential - Religious	Church / Chapel	N/A
2403010830	Stockton Heath	31/03/2024 15:24:04	Special Service	Non-Residential - Religious	Church / Chapel	N/A
2406003713	Ellesmere Port	10/06/2024 19:05:57	Fire	Non-Residential - Religious	Church / Chapel	Deliberate
2408006459	Northwich	16/08/2024 16:31:39	Fire	Non-Residential - Religious	Other	Accidental
2409005190	Crewe	14/09/2024 00:00:24	Special Service	Non-Residential - Religious	Church / Chapel	N/A
2411006316	Warrington	13/11/2014 02:23:33	False Alarm	Non-Residential - Religious	Church / Chapel	N/A
2411008802	Ellesmere Port	19/11/2024 22:03:59	False Alarm	Non-Residential - Religious	Church / Chapel	N/A
2501005601	Nantwich	13/01/205 15:38:10	False Alarm	Non-Residential - Religious	Church / Chapel	N/A
2503005085	Winsford	12/03/2025 13:07:03	Special Service	Non-Residential - Religious	Church / Chapel	N/A
2505001283	Warrington	03/05/2025 14:36:26	Fire	Non-Residential - Religious	Church / Chapel	Deliberate
2601010115	Chester	28/01/2026 17:53:29	False Alarm	Non-Residential - Religious	Church / Chapel	N/A
2602008830	Chester	24/02/2026 21:10:13	Special Service	Non-Residential - Religious	Church / Chapel	N/A

2. Confirmation of whether your incident recording system has a specific location type field for religious sites (church, mosque, synagogue, temple, etc.).

If you require the property types that can be selected on the IRS for Religious buildings they are as follows:

Type of Property (level 1)	SUB TYPE (level 2)	CATEGORY (level 3)	level 4
Building	Non Residential	Religious	Cathedral
Building	Non Residential	Religious	Church / Chapel
Building	Non Residential	Religious	Mosque
Building	Non Residential	Religious	Temple
Building	Non Residential	Religious	Synagogue
Building	Non Residential	Religious	Other

3. Copies of any guidance or policy documents used by your service regarding the recording of incidents at places of worship.

If it is specifically the recording of such incidents we would use the MHCLG guidance available here:

IRS Pilot Evaluation Report

Outcome: Information Provided

FOI responded to within timescales: YES

Further action: NO

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Last updated: Wednesday, 11 March 2026