Fatality in Scottish factory fire
A 37 year old man has died in a fire at the Wicken Fen Food factory in the Scottish Borders.
The alarm was raised at around 11pm on Sunday and 60 firefighters attended the blaze.
A spokesperson for Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service said: “It was a single storey building. One part was a carpet factory and the second part was a food factory. The fire was in the food processing part of the factory.”
A Lothian and Borders Police spokesman said: “Tragically, this fire has resulted in a fatality and we are now investigating along with Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue to establish the events that led to a man’s death. Anyone with information that can assist with the investigation is asked to contact police immediately.”
An investigation into the cause of the fire is being carried out.
Arson suspected at castle wedding
100 firefighters battled a fire at Peckforton Castle, near Liverpool and guests were evacuated from the castle around 5 am on Sunday morning.
It is thought that the fire started shortly after an argument between the groom, who has not been identified and the castle’s management over the wedding bill.
A spokesperson from Cheshire Police said that “a guest at the hotel has been arrested on suspicion of arson after an incident at Peckforton Castle”.
The fire has destroyed large parts of the castle which is regularly used for weddings.
An inquiry into the cause of the blaze is being carried out.
Kitchen fire started by chip pan
Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service were called to a house in Adam Street in Kidderminster last Friday evening following a kitchen fire.
Engines from Kidderminster and Stourport attended the blaze. Crews used a covering jet and positive pressure ventilation equipment to clear smoke from the house and managed to extinguish the fire within an hour.
Neil Bennett, from the fire service said: “This fire involved a chip pan which had been left unattended and the occupants of the house were only alerted by the smell of smoke once the fire had taken hold. While they were able to escape from the house, unharmed, there was considerable damage to the kitchen as a result of the fire, and extensive smoke logging throughout the rest of the house as doors had been left open.”
He warned anyone cooking with hot fat to be vigilant and never to leave their cooking unattended.
Before leaving the property, firefighters installed smoke alarms and also visited neighbouring addresses to check that they have working smoke alarms in their homes.
Fire Training Academy recommends that smoke alarms are fitted on all floors of your home and that you get into the habit of testing them regularly. Look out for out ‘Test it Tuesday’ reminders on Twitter and Facebook.
Fire at mobile phone shop in Tooting
20 firefighters attended a fire at a mobile phone shop in Tooting High on Saturday evening.
The fire, thought to have started in rubbish stored behind the shop, quickly spread to the outside storage area and into the ceiling cavities of the office.
Firefighters tackled the fire for about 4 hours.
Michael Renfold from Tooting Fire Station said: “A large plume of smoke was clearly visible from Tooting High Street, it was quite a fire to start with. But what made it difficult to contain was it had got into the ceiling voids”
An investigation into the cause of the fire will now be carried out.
House fire caused by dressing table mirror
A fire caused by a mirror on a dressing table has badly damaged a first floor bedroom of a house in Oak Bank, Scotby.
An elderly couple in their 80’s live in the property and managed to escape the building when smoke alarms were activated.
The dressing table where the make-up mirror was standing was right next to a double glazed window which may have helped to magnify the sunlight and cause the fire.
Mr Sansom, from Carlisle Fire Station said: “The fire was confined to a first floor bedroom. On closer inspection, we realised it had been caused by sunlight reflecting off a make-up mirror on the dressing table and being magnified on to curtain fabric. There was nothing else which could have caused it. The fire then spread to the dressing table. I have only known something like this happen on a few other occasions in my 24 years with the fire service. It requires so many variables to fall into place, including the angle of the sun and the positioning of the combustible items.”
The fire service have warned people to take extra care, especially with convex and concave shaving and make-up mirrors to avoid fires starting in this way. These mirrors should be kept out of direct sunlight and never be left on window sills.