In Scotland the Daily Record reported that firefighters were called at 16:45 on 22 January to a fire at St Maria Goretti Primary School in Cranhill in the east of Glasgow. Since 2007 Scotland has required sprinklers in all new schools but this school predated that requirement.

The next day the Yorkshire Examiner reports that firefighters were was called at 08:16 to a fire at an Islamic girls’ school in Bradford, northern England. A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service said that the roof was 80% involved. Aerial photography showed that parts of the roof had collapsed.

Devon Live reports that fire crews were called at 18:49 on 23 January to a fire in King Edward VI Community College in Totnes, southwest England. A standalone, wooden classroom was completely destroyed.

Schools are not required to be sprinklered in England but government guidance advises their installation if a risk assessment calls for it. This rather vague approach was taken in 2007 so that the decision would be local and the sprinkler system would have to purchased from local funds. In the UK most local government funding comes from central government. Under austerity that funding has decreased. One impace is that the proportion of new schools with sprinklers has falled from 70% to under 35%. Government guidance is currently under review and these fires show the need to strengthen it.