Date of Request
17/02/2026
Request
Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service, FOIR Team:
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I would be grateful if you could provide the following information.
1. Incidents at sites linked to cannabis cultivation
For each calendar year from 2015 to the most recent complete year available, please provide the number of incidents attended by your service where the property or site was confirmed or suspected to be associated with cannabis cultivation.
These incidents may involve, but are not limited to, fires, electrical faults, rescues, or other emergency responses at sites where cannabis cultivation was identified or suspected.
If providing data for the full period from 2015 would exceed the cost limit under Section 12 of the Act, please instead provide the figures for the most recent five calendar years.
Numeric totals only are requested (and in whatever format is easiest for you); no personal or incident-level detail is required.
2. Policies, procedures, or operational guidance
Please confirm whether your service holds any written policies, procedures, operational guidance, or risk assessment documentation relating to attending fires or other emergencies at sites used, or suspected to be used, for cannabis cultivation.
If so, I would be grateful if you could:
- Provide a web link to the relevant material, or
- Attach copies of the documents to your response (in whatever format is easiest for you), or
- Confirm if the material is exempt from disclosure and specify the relevant exemption(s).
This request is part of wider research that we are undertaking into cannabis farming in the UK, in order to understand both its development over recent years and its links to other issues such as exploitation, violence, modern slavery, and fire and safety risks. Our report on findings from the research will be published later in 2026.
Many thanks for your help with this.
Response
Good Morning
We thank you for your request for information, which has been received by Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service (the Service) and considered under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000.
The Service can confirm that the information that you have requested is held and is as per the attached.
If you have any questions regarding your request, please contact Information Governance on tel: 0345 122 4454 or by e-mail informationrequests@hwfire.org.uk. In any such communication please include the reference number assigned (see Subject).
Should you have any queries regarding the management of your request and wish to make either a complaint or request a review of the information disclosed to you, please do so by using Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service’s complaints system: Comments and Complaints. This must be done within 40 working days of our response to your request. After this date and in line with ICO guidance the Service is not obliged to provide an internal review of your request.
If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the internal review, you may appeal the decision by contacting the Information Commissioner, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, SK9 5AF, Tel: 0303 123 1113 (alternatively 01625 545745) or E-mail: casework@ico.org.uk.
Further information on Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service may be viewed at the Service’s website: www.hwfire.org.uk
Thank you for your request for information.
Kind regards,
Information Governance Team