Explosion at Northamptonshire village workshop
Firefighters have been called to a fire and explosion at a workshop in a Northamptonshire village.
The incident happened at around 1.30pm on 2nd August. An area spanning around 200 metres was cordoned off amid fears that there could be further explosions. Gas cylinders are thought to be stored at the property in Bengal Lane, Greens Norton. Firefighters are trying to cool them down safely to avoid further explosions. Nearby homes have been evacuated.
A spokesman for Northamptonshire Police said: “Police are supporting the Fire and Rescue Service at an incident in Greens Norton where a man has been air lifted to Birmingham Hospital with burns. It is not yet known when the area will be open as we await confirmation that the fire has been completely extinguished.”
Sam Landymore who witnesses the incident said: “I was at the park when I first saw the air ambulance arrive in the village. Over the next hour I saw four fire engines and several police cars arriving. I could see smoke pouring into the sky and heard three separate loud bangs followed by thick black smoke.”
Fire services across the UK warn of the dangers of Chinese lanterns
Fire services across the UK are warning of the dangers of using Chinese lanterns.
The paper lanterns are used to celebrate weddings and birthdays and becoming increasingly popular in the UK, especially in the summer months.
Fire crew across the UK have had to deal with a string of accidents involving the lanterns in the last few months. In St Annes, Lancashire there have been incidents were the lanterns had fallen onto the roof of a petrol station and others that have set alight to trees. Lancashire fire bosses are urging residents to think carefully before using them.
Steve Morgan, Prevention Support Manager at Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said: “There is no guarantee the fuel source will be fully extinguished and cooled when the lantern eventually descends and that presents a real fire hazard, having started four fires, typically by landing in dry vegetation, in the past 18 months in Lancashire. Though that’s not a large number in itself reports from other parts of the country, including those of a lantern burning through the wall of a marquee at the Glastonbury Festival and a near miss on a roof at Winchester Cathedral, suggests it’s only a matter of time before a lantern starts a serious blaze in Lancashire.”
In Bamber Bridge, lanterns were launched in the yard of a house during a late-night party. The lanterns were then blown onto fabric garden chairs causing a fire which quickly spread to the kitchen wall and spread to an air vent which then channelled the fire upwards into the cavity wall between the house and the neighbouring property.
Steve Morgan added: “With recent experience of a week-long moorland fire at Belmont, we are only too aware of the way grass, shrubs and trees can easily and quickly ignite and burn with great ferocity. Lanterns can travel considerable distances and their flight direction and where they land is unpredictable, so there is a strong argument to ban their use altogether, which is the case in most parts of Germany and even in some provinces of their country of origin.”
Heinz factory back on track after fire
A Heinz factory that was devastated by a fire on 7th May this year is finally getting back on track.
Production at the Westwick factory started again shortly after the fire but it has taken several months to get back to full production levels.
A spokesperson for the factory said: “Plans are under review to replace one manufacturing line that was damaged beyond repair by the fire. However, production volume across the remaining two lines, which were part of major investment in the last two years, has been dialled up and all staff [around 200] are fully deployed at the site. The remaining volume requirements are being sourced through Heinz co-packers. As a result of the fire investigation, measures have already put in place to prevent a recurrence but further details were not disclosed.”
across Norfolk using foam, breathing apparatus and an aerial ladder platform.
The huge fire was tackled by about 100 firefighters from Aylsham, Stalham, Earlham, North Walsham, Norwich, Sprowston, Gorleston and Loddon fire stations.
Around 60 staff were in the factory at the time of the fire but no one was injured.
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