Reading school evacuated after light fitting causes fire
Firefighters were called to a fire at a school in Calcot, Berkshire on 27th January after a burning light fitting fell from the ceiling setting fire to the desks below.
Luckily no children were in the classroom at the time but about 20 children had to be evacuated from that section of the school when the fire alarms were activated.
Steve Andrews from Dee Road fire station said: “The classroom was absolutely black with smoke. If you smell burning from a light fitting, turn the light off, evacuate the building and call the fire service because they can catch light.”
Fire chief issues Chinese lantern warning
A Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service official has discouraged the use of Chinese lanterns throughout the region as many people gear up to celebrate the ‘Year of the Rabbit’ from today.
The fire service has issued this warning at the beginning of the Chinese New Year due to concerns over the use of these sky or wish lanterns, as they are often known.
Due to the fact that the lanterns are constructed using a paper or fabric shell and often a bamboo frame, they have been known to have caused a number of fires in other countries.
The lanterns, which are usually ignited so that they rise in the air, have already been banned in Germany and Australia because of incidents involving stray lanterns and reports of damage to homes, with one fire even resulting in a death.
Despite there being a list of safety instructions included with the purchase of these lanterns, their use is still strongly discouraged by the fire service.
Steve McGuirk, the County Fire Officer and Chief Executive, said:
“We want everyone to enjoy the Chinese New Year celebrations safely and we would ask people to think carefully before using Chinese lanterns – once lit and released there is no control over its direction or where it lands.”
Major road closed for 8 hours after lorry fire
A lorry carrying feathers used for duvets and clothing caught fire on the A14 near Huntingdon yesterday causing chaos to hundreds of motorists.
The major road in Cambridgeshire had to be closed for over 8 hours whilst emergency services dealt with the fire which is thought to have been caused by a ruptured fuel tank. A witness reported that the flames coming from the vehicle were about 20ft high.
The incident was attended by 27 firefighters from 5 crews. Nobody was injured in the incident.
80 fire fighters tackle warehouse blaze
A fire at a building in Reading storing electrical components broke you on the evening of 31st January.
The fire at Harris Systems was so severe that it took 11 fire engines and 80 firefighters over 3 hours to get the fire under control. They remained on site for several hours after it had been extinguished to ensure it did not relight.
A spokesperson for Dee Road fire station said: “More than 80 fire fighters were on the scene but through good fire fighting we managed to prevent fire from spreading and we saved a majority of the building.”
Fire Warden Training – Inverness
Enjoyed using extinguishers, very useful to try out, less frightening – Lorna Gordon
Informative, well explained, interesting very helpful, Gerry excellent – involved everyone in team explained things fully – Melanie Stewart
Enjoyed it and very informative, very useful in how to take appropiate action in event of fire and fire warden duties – Liz Beattie
The practical element was extremley useful in gaining confidence of fire first aid – Adam Brown
The training was very informative and definitely made me think about fire safety at home and work – Trudy Houston
Very clear information, very useful to have hands on experience with real extinguishers – Kirsty Hickson