Fire as a Weapon

Fire as a weapon (FAW) is the deliberate use of fire within a terrorist attack with the intent to cause harm. This may include causing harm to people, premeditated damage to property, or a combination of both.

A new guidance document has been developed in collaboration with the Home Office, National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) and the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC).This document highlights the mitigation of the risks posed by terrorists conducting attacks that combine the use of fire with other attack methods, known as a fire as a weapon (FAW) attack. 

The document is aimed at those responsible for the protection of Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) sites, sensitive sites and crowded places. It provides an understanding of the FAW threat, details key hazards created by FAW attacks, how current fire related regulations address the issues and sets out steps to be considered when looking to reduce the risk from such a threat.

The guidance document can also be found on the Fire as a Weapon page.