100 firefighters tackle Northamptonshire blaze
Around 100 firefighters have taken 3 days to extinguish a huge fire at The Think Environment processing plant in Northamptonshire which broke out on 25th September at Blackbridge Farm, Burton Latimer.
Nearby roads were closed for several days to enable the crews to lay a long water pump.
Iain Bomberg, commercial director of Think Environment, said: “We deeply regret the fire, but we have been working our hardest with the emergency authorities to resolve the situation. We hope to get in there imminently to start the clean-up operation and replace any damaged equipment to get back up and running as soon as possible.”
An investigation into the cause of the fire will be carried out but it is not being treated as suspicious.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 states that you: ‘must make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to which relevant persons are exposed’
This means that all companies as a first point in their Fire Safety must complete a Fire Risk Assessment. This must be carried out by a competent person, who is trained to perform risk assessments. Your Fire Training needs, your fire extinguisher needs and any other fire safety related issues you will need to address will be highlighted from the Fire Risk Assessment.
Our team of experienced and qualified Fire Risk Assessors will perform a full Fire Risk Assessment of your premises, and provide you with a comprehensive document detailing the risks found and recommendations to minimise the risks.
Faulty freezer could be cause of London house fire deaths
A house fire that killed a mother and her five children is believed to have been caused by a freezer.
Muna Elmufatish, 41, daughters Hanin Kua, 14, Basma, 13, and nine year old Amal, and brothers Mustafa, five, and Yehya, two, died in the blaze at their home in north-west London on Saturday. The children’s father, Bassam Kua, 51, and 16-year-old sister, Nur, escaped the flames but remain in hospital in a serious condition.
London Fire Brigade report that the chest freezer stored in the hallway at the bottom of the stairs, was most likely to have started the blaze. The fire is London’s worst house fire in more than a decade.
London Fire Brigade said: “Six people died and two people were seriously injured in a blaze that started in the early hours of Saturday morning in a two-storey semi-detached house in Neasden. Fire investigators believe that a chest freezer, which was in the hallway at the bottom of the stairs, may have caused the fire. The make of the chest freezer is not known at this stage.”
Investigations continue to determine the exact cause of the fire which police do not believe was suspicious.
80 firefighters called to tower block blaze
80 firefighters attended a fire at Markham Tower, in Bowers Avenue, Mile Cross on Monday 26th September.
Brenda Arthur, Norwich City Council leader said: “We would like to thank our staff and all our tenants for remaining calm and carrying out our evacuation procedure to the letter. It’s a tribute to everyone involved that no-one was hurt. We understand this is an upsetting time for all those affected by the fire. Some of our tenants have already indicated they would like to stay with family and friends while repairs are carried out. We will work out the best form of accommodation for those who can’t call on relatives so that everyone can be looked after properly until they can get back to their homes.”
The city council has confirmed that one flat is badly damaged by fire and 10 flats have suffered severe water damage. There appears to be no serious structural damage, and only minimal smoke damage to rest of the property.
The fire is thought to have started in an eighth floor flat although the person living in the flat was not at home at the time.
Stuart Horth, incident commander from Norfolk Fire Rescue Service, said the fire was put out within 10 minutes just as it was starting to spread to floor above. He praised the work of the fire crews and also the swift actions of the people living in the building who evacuated the building before emergency services arrived and helped avert a more serious situation.
David Freeman, witness the fire. He said: “We heard shouting telling us to get out and when we did we saw smoke and within five minutes the window had blown out. We could see a few flames out the bottom of the window at first but within a few minutes they were huge and the whole flat was obviously engulfed. It was terrifying and we were all worried in case anyone was in there. It was panic, really.”
Electric blanket fire risk
A report by Age Concern UK and the Electrical Safety Council has revealed that 60 out of 350 electric blankets failed fire safety checks carried out between 5th and 14th September.
Councillor Colin Spence from Suffolk County Council said: “Appliances which are not maintained could easily start a fire, destroy homes and cost lives. Electric blankets are the cause of over a thousand fires in the UK every year and some have resulted in deaths. This year’s campaign has prevented more than 60 potentially devastating house fires.”
The tests were carried out in Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds, Lowestoft and Haverhill by Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service.
It is important to have your electric blankets tested every 3 years to ensure they are safe to use.
On-site Fire Warden Training
Gerry’s presentation was very thorough, comprehensive and interesting. It put into context exactly why I check the alarms each week – K. Glass
The course was very thought provoking. I think I would now be better equipped to deal with an emergency fire situation – R. Chorlton