150 evacuated from tower block blaze
A man is in a critical condition after a tower block fire.
Fire crews evacuated 150 residents from a block of flats in Wandsworth, south London at around 12.35 am on Friday 12th August after a fire broke out on the 9th floor.
Firefighters pulled the 40 year old man from the fire and he was immediately taken to hospital suffering from burns and smoke inhalation. It is reported that the man had also suffered a cardiac arrest according to a London Fire Brigade spokesperson.
50 firefighters and 8 engines attended the incident at Andrew Reed House which took around 2 hours to extinguish.
Scotland Yard confirm that the fire was not linked to the recent riots in the capital.
A spokesperson for the London Fire Brigade said that: “Eighty per cent damage was caused to the flat where the fire started while 70% damage was done to the external fascia above the ninth floor.”
150 tonnes of paper destroyed in recycling centre fire
A fire broke out at the SCA recycling centre in Mercer’s Row, Abbey at around 9.10am on 11th August.
Four crews from Cambridge, Cottenham, Huntingdon and Sawston attended the fire.
The fire destroyed over 150 tonnes of paper but it is reported that no injuries were caused by the fire and the building was not damaged.
Steve Smith from the company said: “Our site manager is meeting with fire officers this morning to try to establish the cause. We are not quite sure what happened but we do not believe it was suspicious in any way. Sometimes things like this just happen at recycling plants when the paper bales get overheated. There will not be a company investigation beyond what we are working on with the fire service.”
1.5 million CDs destroyed in Sony warehouse inferno
It has been reported that more than 1.5m CDs were destroyed in last week’s Sony warehouse fire.
The main distribution centre in Enfield was burnt down by rioters on the 9th August and is the biggest distributor of independent music in the UK.
Around 40 firefighters tackled the fire on Monday night at the warehouse which totally destroyed the 20,000 square metre building.
Alison Wenham, who chairs the Association of Independent Music, said: “This is a disaster for the music community, but with the fans’ help, labels and artists will survive.”
Scotland Yard have confirmed that three male teenagers have been arrested and charged with violent disorder and arson. Two have been remanded in custody and one has been released on bail.
Two people die in Hastings caravan blaze
Two people have died in a caravan fire at Combe Haven holiday park in Hastings.
When firefighters arrived at the blaze at around 10pm on 13th August, the couple, both in their 40’s were unconscious.
A fire service spokesman said: “Sadly, in spite of efforts to resuscitate them, they were pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. A third appliance was subsequently dispatched, and the fire was extinguished by 11.14pm using hose reel jets and foam.”
A Sussex Police spokesman said: “At 2210 on Saturday August 13, emergency services were called to Combe Haven Caravan Park in Harley Shute Road, Hastings, where a fire within a caravan had been reported. Tragically, the two occupants – a male and a female in their 40s – were declared deceased at the location.”
An investigation into what caused the fire will be carried out by officials.
South Wales recycling project sends 11 engines to Serbia
Firefighters from South Wales are preparing to send 11 fire appliances to Serbia under a recycling initiative.
More than 50 firemen and firewomen will make the 1,500 mile journey through France, Germany and Hungary. The crews will deliver the engines to the Serbian fire service.
The project is an initiative by South Wales Fire and Rescue Authority which earlier this year agreed a three year rolling programme to ‘recycle’ old fire appliances rather than scrap them when they receive new stock.
Steve Logan, station commander at Caerphilly Fire Station said: “The fire engines that stand to be disposed of are at the end of their working life under British standards. But in developing countries like Serbia, what we consider end of working life, I think they consider is their infancy. Because we have this natural disposal programme, in my opinion, it’s criminal to scrap those vehicles and not be able to give them a new lease of life.”
Each firefighter is personally funding their own travel expenses. £2,500 is needed to transport each fire appliance and firefighters are working hard at getting as much sponsorship as possible to fund the move.