Fire at The Leith Academy in Edinburgh
A school in Scotland has been damaged after a fire broke out on the morning of 23rd November.
Firefighters attended the small fire at the Leith Academy in Edinburgh at 8.30am.
A spokesperson for Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service said: “There was a fire in a tumble dryer in the home economics department caused by over-heating. It was a small fire which was dealt with by isolating the power supply to the machine.”
One woman was treated for smoke inhalation at the scene but did not require hospital treatment.
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Man rescued from house as sofa goes up in flames
A man was rescued from a fire at his home after a passer-by and a policeman jumped in to help.
Taffy Prosser and Sergeant Carl Jones helped the man escape from his flat in Grenville Road, Dines Green, Worcester at about 3pm on Wednesday.
Mr Prosser who was flagged down by a neighbour said: “He was telling me to leave him and I said, ‘no way’. Then the sergeant came in to the flat and helped me and we just got him out. We had to find something to put him on so we got this commode. I couldn’t see anything, but we got him out. I was trying to find him and I could hear his voice. It was scary. A lot goes through your mind.”
The duo had to break down the front room door and get the burning sofa out of the building in an attempt to stop the fire spreading further.
Sgt Carl Jones said: “People will come together to help their neighbours. I was just pleased [Mr Prosser] was there and we were able to get the guy out. It was a big relief and I’m told he’s on the mend.”
Neighbour, Mrs Thomas praised the pair for their bravery: “They deserve an award. It was horrendous really. It was a bit of luck [Mr Prosser] was coming by because I couldn’t get [Mr Johns] out. I’ve never known anyone so brave.”
Watch Commander Dave Smith, from the local fire service said: “The fire involved an older style foam-filled sofa that did not conform to British Standards for domestic furniture and the smoke it gave off was dense and highly toxic. Those involved in the rescue undoubtedly saved the man’s life.”
He also reminded people that upholstered furniture sold in the UK after 1988 must conform to fire safety guidelines and urged everyone to check that their own sofas and armchairs do comply with these regulations.
All were taken to Worcestershire Royal Hospital for treatment for smoke inhalation. Mr Prosser, Mrs Thomas and Sgt Jones were all discharged that evening, while Mr Johns remains in hospital but is expected to make a full recovery.
Investigation into fire at Windermere Aquatic Centre
A fire broke out at Windermere Aquatic Centre in Bowness on 16th November at around 7.30pm.
Around 90 boats were stored at the centre, and several were severely damaged in the fire.
10 appliances and 60 firefighters attended the fire which took around 5 hours to extinguish.
A spokesperson for Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service said: “By the time the first crews arrived the fire had already broken through the roof of the storage shed. It was obvious that we needed further appliances and [we] requested help from Staveley, Ambleside, Kendal and Barrow. We also had environmental protection equipment at the scene as there were some concerns about pollution from the fire water run-off entering the lake.We were lucky in as much as we were able to use the lake as our primary water supply.
An investigation into the cause of the fire is being carried out.
£10,000 reward offered to find Glasgow arsonists
Scottish Power has offered a £10,000 reward in the hope of finding who was responsible for starting a fire in Glasgow which closed the M8 for several hours last week and left over 26,000 homes without electricity.
The fire was started at an underpass at the A8, near the M8, at Old Govan Road in Renfrew and caused substantial damage to high voltage power cables. It will take more than 2 weeks to repair damage caused.
Guy Jefferson from Scottish Power said: “The criminals who started this fire on Monday evening are responsible for major disruptions that have inconvenienced thousands of people across the south side of Glasgow. Sections of our high voltage power line have been badly damaged and carrying out the repairs is a major job. A vital component of the electricity network in the south of Glasgow is now temporarily out of service, and the network is weaker as a result. We need all our equipment to be working in order to guarantee secure supplies of power.”
He added: “Although at this stage we can’t be sure that our cable was targeted in the fire, the issues associated with metal theft continue to increase across the country, and it is costing the UK economy up to £1bn every year. This fire has already caused a huge amount of inconvenience for thousands of people due to the initial power interruption and subsequent road closures. We want to do all that we can to help Strathclyde Police catch those who are responsible.”
Investigations continue into the exact cause of the fire.
Norfolk Food factory destroyed in blaze
50 firefighters were called to attend a huge fire which destroyed a food factory in Norfolk on the 9th November.
The blaze broke out at Broadland Hams on the Sweet Briar Road Industrial Estate at around 2pm on Wednesday.
Pumps from Earlham, Sprowston, Carrow, Hethersett, Wroxham, Long Stratton, Wymondham, Aylsham, and Attleborough plus the aerial ladder platform from Great Yarmouth were at the scene.
Richard Herrell from Norfolk Fire and Rescue Services said: “The fire is very difficult to extinguish because the roof is constructed of sandwich panels of polystyrene, a highly combustible material associated with firefighters’ deaths in the past.”
Mr Herrel said that they had to ensure the fire did not spread to the factory’s refrigeration site as it contained highly explosive gases.
Louise Hall, who works at an office block nearby said: “We are looking at it through our window. It seems to be getting worse and there’s thick black smoke coming out of it. The whole side of the building seems to be on fire, and it’s bellowing out flames.”
Everyone was evacuated safely but one member of staff was treated for smoke inhalation.