Fire Engineering Consultants

Fire engineering consultancy provides specialist, performance-based fire safety advice where prescriptive guidance alone is insufficient to demonstrate compliance. It is commonly required for complex, higher-risk, or non-standard buildings where design flexibility, regulatory approval, or alternative solutions are needed.

At Fire Risk Assessment Network, our fire engineering consultants support developers, designers, building owners, and duty holders across the UK. We provide clear, proportionate fire engineering advice aligned with current building regulations, fire safety legislation, and recognised guidance.

Our role is to help clients resolve complex fire safety challenges, justify design decisions, and demonstrate compliance in a robust, defensible manner.

What Does a Fire Engineering Consultant Do?

A fire engineering consultant applies engineering principles to assess and manage fire risk in buildings, particularly where:

• Standard guidance cannot be followed in full
• Design constraints require alternative solutions
• Complex building layouts or uses are proposed
• Justification is required for regulatory approval

Fire engineering is commonly used to support compliance with Building Regulations during design and construction, and to inform fire safety strategy in higher-risk or non-standard buildings.

Fire engineering consultancy typically includes:

• Fire strategy development and review
• Performance-based fire safety design
• Engineering analysis to support compliance
• Advice on means of escape, smoke control, and fire spread
• Support during planning, building control, and statutory approval

Who We Support Through Fire Engineering Consultancy

Our fire engineering consultants work with a wide range of clients, including:

• Developers and design teams
• Architects and principal designers
• Building owners and landlords
• Managing agents and duty holders
• Organisations responsible for higher-risk or complex buildings

We support projects at all stages, from early design and planning through to construction, occupation, and post-completion review.

Fire Engineering and UK Legislation

Fire engineering in the UK operates within a defined legal and regulatory framework.

Building Regulations and Approved Document B

Fire engineering is most commonly applied to demonstrate compliance with the Building Regulations, particularly Approved Document B. Where prescriptive guidance cannot be followed, a performance-based fire engineering approach may be used to justify alternative solutions that achieve an equivalent or higher level of safety.

Fire engineering analysis supports decision-making during:

• Planning and design stages
• Building control approval
• Regulatory consultation and review

Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

Once a building is occupied, fire safety responsibilities transfer to the Responsible Person under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Fire engineering advice may inform fire risk assessments, management strategies, and post-construction reviews, but does not replace statutory fire risk assessment duties.

Fire Safety Act 2021 and External Wall Fire Risk

Fire Safety Act 2021 clarified how the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order applies to multi-occupied residential buildings, confirming that fire risk assessments must consider the building’s structure and external walls.

This includes cladding systems, insulation, balconies, fixings, and other façade elements that may influence fire spread or evacuation strategy. As a result, fire engineering input is increasingly required where external wall construction, compartmentation, or means of escape present elevated or complex risk.

Fire engineering consultants now play a key role in advising on external wall and cladding fire risk, particularly where façade construction may contribute to rapid vertical or lateral fire spread, or where design assumptions require validation against real building conditions.

Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022

Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 introduced additional statutory duties for certain higher-risk residential buildings, reinforcing the importance of accurate building information and ongoing fire safety management.

These regulations place specific requirements on Responsible Persons, including enhanced fire door checks, provision of fire safety information to residents, wayfinding signage, and secure storage of building data for fire and rescue services.

Fire engineering consultants support compliance by advising on how these operational duties align with building design, fire strategy, and existing fire safety measures, particularly where buildings are complex or where documentation is incomplete.

Fire Engineering Services

Our fire engineering consultancy services include:

Fire Strategy Reports

Fire strategy reports and fire engineering reports set out how fire safety objectives will be achieved within a building. They consider prevention, detection, warning, evacuation, containment, and firefighting access, and are commonly required for planning, building control, or regulatory approval.

Fire strategies are tailored to the building’s use, layout, occupancy, and risk profile.

Performance-Based Fire Safety Design

Where standard guidance cannot be applied, we develop performance-based solutions supported by engineering analysis. This may include justification for alternative means of escape, compartmentation arrangements, or smoke control strategies.

Fire and Smoke Modelling

Fire and smoke modelling may be used to assess fire development, smoke spread, and tenability conditions within complex buildings. This analysis supports validation of design assumptions and helps demonstrate that proposed measures achieve acceptable safety outcomes.

Means of Escape and Evacuation Strategy

Fire engineering advice may be required to assess escape routes, evacuation arrangements, and phased or managed evacuation strategies, particularly in large, complex, or mixed-use buildings.

Statutory and Regulatory Support

We support clients during planning, building control, and regulatory engagement by providing clear technical justification and responding to fire safety queries raised by approving authorities.

When Fire Engineering Requires Passive Fire Protection Surveys

In some buildings, fire engineering analysis identifies concerns relating to compartmentation, fire-resisting construction, or service penetrations that cannot be fully assessed through design review alone. In these cases, targeted passive fire protection surveys are often required to verify how fire-resisting elements perform in practice.

These surveys provide on-site evidence of defects such as compromised fire stopping, damaged fire doors, or breaches caused by refurbishment works, allowing fire engineering recommendations to be grounded in verified building conditions rather than assumptions.

Fire Engineering and Fire Risk Assessment

Fire engineering consultancy does not replace fire risk assessment. Fire risk assessments are a legal requirement for occupied premises, while fire engineering is typically applied during design, construction, or where complex fire safety issues require specialist input.

In some cases, fire engineering findings may inform future fire risk assessments or highlight areas requiring ongoing management and review.

When Is Fire Engineering Consultancy Required?

Fire engineering consultancy is commonly required where:

• Buildings are complex, large, or non-standard
• Design constraints limit compliance with prescriptive guidance
• External wall systems or compartmentation present increased risk
• Alternative evacuation strategies are proposed
• Regulatory approval requires technical justification

Early engagement with a fire engineering consultant can prevent delay, redesign, and enforcement issues later in the project lifecycle.

Why Choose Fire Risk Assessment Network?

Our fire engineering consultancy services are:

• Delivered by competent, experienced fire engineers
• Aligned with current UK legislation and guidance
• Performance-based, proportionate, and defensible
• Integrated with wider fire safety and compliance services
• Focused on clarity, risk management, and regulatory confidence

We work collaboratively with clients to achieve safe, compliant, and practical fire engineering outcomes.

Conclusion

Fire engineering consultancy plays a critical role in modern building design and fire safety management, particularly where prescriptive guidance alone cannot address complex risk. By applying engineering principles, scientific analysis, and regulatory understanding, fire engineers help ensure that buildings achieve appropriate levels of fire safety throughout their lifecycle.

At Fire Risk Assessment Network, our fire engineering consultants provide clear, evidence-based advice to support compliance, approval, and long-term fire safety management.

If you require professional fire engineering consultancy or support with fire strategy, performance-based design, or regulatory approval, our team can provide practical, proportionate guidance.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Fire Engineering?

Fire engineering is a performance-based approach to fire safety that applies scientific and engineering principles to assess and manage fire risk. It is commonly used where prescriptive guidance cannot be followed in full, or where complex building design requires alternative fire safety solutions.

When Is a Fire Engineering Consultant Required?

A fire engineering consultant is typically required where buildings are complex, non-standard, higher-risk, or subject to design constraints. This includes situations where Approved Document B cannot be followed directly, or where justification is needed to demonstrate equivalent or enhanced fire safety performance.

What Is a Fire Strategy Report?

A fire strategy report is a technical document that explains how fire safety objectives will be achieved within a building. It covers fire prevention, detection, warning, means of escape, smoke control, compartmentation, and firefighting access, and is often required for planning approval, building control, or regulatory review.

How Does Fire Engineering Differ From a Fire Risk Assessment?

Fire engineering is typically applied during the design or construction phase to support compliance with Building Regulations. A fire risk assessment is a legal requirement for occupied premises under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and focuses on managing fire risk during occupation. The two processes are related but serve different purposes.

Can Fire Engineering Be Used Instead of Following Approved Document B?

Yes, fire engineering can be used to justify alternative solutions where Approved Document B cannot be followed exactly. In these cases, a performance-based approach is used to demonstrate that the proposed design achieves an equivalent or higher level of fire safety.

Do Fire Engineering Consultants Deal With External Wall and Cladding Risk?

Yes. Fire engineering consultants may assess external wall systems, façade design, and fire spread risk, particularly where cladding, insulation, or balconies are present. Fire engineering input is often required where external wall construction may influence fire development or evacuation strategy.

Is Fire Engineering Required by Law?

Fire engineering itself is not explicitly required by law. However, where buildings cannot comply with prescriptive guidance, fire engineering is often necessary to demonstrate compliance with Building Regulations and to support regulatory approval.

Who Uses Fire Engineering Consultancy Services?

Fire engineering consultancy services are commonly used by developers, architects, designers, building owners, landlords, managing agents, and organisations responsible for complex or higher-risk buildings.

Will a Fire Engineering Report Be Accepted by Building Control?

Fire engineering reports are commonly used to support building control approval where Approved Document B cannot be followed directly. Acceptance depends on the quality of the analysis, the competence of the fire engineer, and whether the proposed solution demonstrates an equivalent or higher level of fire safety.