The fire chief warned that England's fire stations were "collapsed" and that funds were estimated to drop by £1 billion as the title increased by one fifth.

The National Fire Chiefs Commission (NFCC) urged firefighting and rescue not to become “forgotten emergency services”, warning of “the pressure to risk sabotage public and firefighters’ safety” as it responds to more 999 calls with fewer firefighters.

The call will be ahead of the government's spending review next week, with Prime Minister Rachel Reeves pledging to support the NHS and increase the defense budget.

The NFCC said the fire service was not mentioned, which has led to fears they would be forgotten, representing the head of the entire UK fire department.

According to government workforce statistics, England's firefighters have dropped by a quarter in seven years, equivalent to 11,000 full-time employees.

Since the last government canceled a large grant in 2014-15, the NFCC said services mean services cannot maintain or modernize aging infrastructure, including fire departments, capital financing is also estimated to have an estimated £1 billion in capital funding.

NFCC Chairman Phil Garrigan said the failure to reverse the damage could endanger the public and firefighters.

Inquiries about the deaths of two Oxfordshire firefighters and a public were opened on Tuesday. Firefighters Jennie Logan, 30, and Martyn Sadler, 38, died when the Bister Business Park collapsed in the May 15 fire. Two other firefighters are still in the hospital.

As demand for fire and rescue services in England is growing, financial challenges are being addressed. Government data shows that until December 2024, officials responded to 600,185 incidents, an increase of 20% from a decade ago.

Data from the Ministry of Housing, Community and Local Government (MHCLG) shows that while the number of fires has dropped by 11%, non-fire annotations have increased by 65%.

In 2022, the service involved record wildfire numbers, but it seems likely that 2025 has beaten that number, with 225 wildfire dealings so far, up from 106 in the same period in 2022.

"These numbers are clear: Fire and rescue services are busier now than they were a decade ago, and we are taking on more responsibilities, not less. The risks now are more challenging and complex. Despite this fact, we are seeing a drop in the number of firefighters, while all other public services are seeing their numbers return to pre-order levels."

He said the work of firefighters is “critical to maintaining public safety and we welcome the opportunity to really make a difference, but if we want to continue in the context of growing demand, we need to return investment to fire and rescue services”.

He added: "If we leave fire and rescue services without proper financial support and investment, we have the potential to undermine public and firefighter safety. Fire and rescue services are at the right core in terms of wildfires, floods and terrorism and terrorism, fire and rescue services. If we don't invest, then we need to be prepared to answer the communities that have the greatest time of these services."

Earlier this year, the NFCC called on ministers to take urgent action to protect communities from the impact of climate rupture, saying the UK was not ready.

The organization said the ability of fire services to address weather-related emergencies is at risk, although they are often the main frontline response to emergencies including floods, fires caused by heat waves, and storm-related emergencies, all becoming increasingly frequent.

A MHCLG spokesman said: “We understand the challenges facing fire service and although the government has left behind, we are determined to provide better public services through our change program.

“In the last fiscal year, fire and rescue authorities have earned nearly £300 million in revenue to support our brave firefighters and help them protect our communities.”