Police investigate Kent farm fire
Over 50 firefighters attended a huge fire in Kent on 11th January.
At its worst, 10 fire crews battled the fire which broke out in farm buildings near Staplehurst in Kent.
Local residents were asked to stay inside and keep all windows and doors shut as a huge plume of smoke spread across the area.
A spokesman for Kent Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that there were no casualties reported in the incident.
David Friday, from Fridays Limited, said that the business had been in the family for 50 years. In an interview with BBC News, he said: “A fire broke out at our Knoxbridge site near Cranbrook, Kent. Two hen houses were affected during the fire, one empty and one stocked. The Kent Fire and Rescue Services successfully controlled the fire around midday. All staff are accounted for and no injuries have been reported.”
28 year old man died in suspicious Bradford house fire
An investigation is now underway to determine how a fire which killed a young man in his Bradford home was started.
The victim was named as 28-year-old Amjad Hussain.
His uncle, Mohammed Shafiq, said: “A neighbour rang Saima at the school where she works and said her house was on fire. She ran all the way down but the firemen would not let her anywhere near. The neighbours told us when the firemen brought him out they would not even let the paramedics near him. They could only see his hands and they had all marks on them.”
The couple had lived at the house for about four years and have a young son.
Mr Shafiq added: “Saima is with her mother right now. She can’t get her head around what’s happened. The boy keeps asking for his daddy. She has been to the police station to talk to officers but none of us know what’s happened. They have told us it’s not just a fire death. There is more to it. They said there are circumstances they want to look at but we don’t know what they are. We have not been allowed back in the house and we have not been allowed to see him.”
Huge chemical spill at paint factory
45 firefighters and eight appliances from Stowmarket, Elmswell, Bury St Edmunds, Ixworth and Ipswich attended an incident at PPG Industries UK paint factory when thousands of litres of flammable solvent leaked from a reactor vessel.
Mark Sanderson from Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service said: “Crews have been on site since 2pm and have laid a blanket of foam over a quantity of spilled solvent. This escaped from a reactor vessel. Crews have covered an area approximately half the size of a football pitch with foam, which is designed …to prevent flammable vapours from being released. The leak has been stopped and ignition sources in the area have been isolated.”
Ian Bowell from Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service added: “This incident has been contained on site thanks to the work of the on-site staff at PPG and Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service. During the incident we have worked closely with the Environment Agency and are pleased to say that all internal drainage systems have done their job containing any contaminated water on site for removal at a later date. Once again we would like to thank all involved for their co-operation during this prolonged and at times complex incident.”
Smoke alarm alerts neighbour to house fire
Two crews from Thames-side fire station attended a fire in St Dunstans Drive, Gravesend, on Wednesday 11th January at around 12pm.
The fire is thought to have started when the woman accidentally turned on the cooker before leaving her home. A neighbour heard the smoke alarm and quickly alerted the fire service.
Thames-side crew manager Dave Aylwin, said: “Once inside we discovered that a wooden knife block had been left on the cooker. It is believed that the resident had brushed past and accidentally turned the knob on before leaving her home. Thanks to working smoke alarms in the property, a neighbour was alerted and called 999. This enabled our crews to get to the fire quickly, contain it and prevent it from spreading, resulting in minimal damage. However, without the working smoke alarms fitted in her home, the fire could have gone undetected and had far more serious consequences. Fire breaks out when you least expect it and this incident is a timely reminder to other residents that cookers should only be used for cooking and not as additional storage space.”
Lancashire house fire deaths : Smoke detectors not working
It has been reported that smoke detectors were not working in the Lancashire house where four children died earlier this month.
Reece Smith, 19, four-year-old twins Holly and Ella and Jordan, two, died after a fire broke out at their home in Freckleton, Lancashire last week.
The fire is thought to have started in one of the bedrooms and smoke spread quickly through the house.
Lancashire Police have confirmed that post-mortem examinations carried out by a Home Office pathologist has shown that each victim died as a result of the effects of smoke inhalation.
A spokesman for Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said: “We can confirm there were smoke detectors in the property but they did not work. Forensic examination has established they were not working before the fire. A working smoke detector can give an early warning with quite a small amount of smoke. More notice could have been given in this situation and maybe the tragedy could have been averted.”
Investigations continue into the exact cause of the fire.