8 chimney fires spark fire service warning
A series of chimney fires in Devon and Somerset has brought the fire and rescue service to remind people to take extra care when lighting a fire, especially if they have not been used in a while.
The area has seen 8 chimney fires in just 10 days.
Mike Burroughs, Fire investigation officer said: “With the nights still being quite cold people have naturally been warming up their homes by lighting the traditional fire, but without proper maintenance a chimney can become dangerous. To keep the family safe from fire people should take care to have their chimney swept regularly, depending upon what fuel they burn. If the worst should happen, a smoke alarm can give people the extra time needed to escape in a house fire – they need to be tested regularly.”
3 businesses destroyed in fire
A fire which broke out in a storage yard of a Chorley restaurant destroyed three neighbouring businesses.
The fire, which started in a storage yard behind the Amalfi Italian restaurant, destroyed the restaurant, Cash Converters, and a former Bon Marche store.
Tony Clements, Fire safety enforcement leader said: “As well as the obvious devastation, the road closures on Cleveland Street and High Street to both deal with the incidents and allow safe demolition caused major disruption for businesses and the town in general. Even a small fire in a commercial premise can be disastrous. In many cases the cause has been of an electrical nature with poor housekeeping being another major factor.”
It is thought that the fire started due to a fault in an electrical appliance or possibly as a result of a halogen light being left on
Mr Clements has urged local businesses to ensure they put wheelie bins at a safe distance from buildings to avoid the risk of fire.
Mr Clements said: “A fire in a wheeled bin may be undetected if in a back alley during the night until the adjacent building becomes involved.”
The remains of the buildings are currently being removed by demolition crews. It is not known if the businesses will be rebuilt or reopened.
Smoke alarm awareness campaign
Fire crews in the West Sussex area are running a campaign to raise awareness amongst the deaf and hard of hearing during National Deaf Awareness Week to ensure adequate smoke alarms are installed in homes.
It is thought that around one million adults in the UK have hearing problems which prevent them from hearing regular household smoke alarm.
A spokesperson for the fire service said: “British Standard BS5446-3:2005 specifies smoke alarm kits for deaf and hard of hearing people. Products made to this standard give deaf people assurance of quality smoke alarms, designed to meet their needs.”
Adrian Carter, Safer communities deputy manager, said: “It is vital people who are deaf or hard of hearing ensure they have the right smoke alarm technology in their home to protect them – and that they test them weekly, to make sure they work. A specialist alarm system provides valuable time to escape from a house fire. Without it, lives could be lost.”
17 women die in Philippines clothing store fire
A huge fire which broke out in a clothing store in the southern Philippines has left 17 employees dead.
All of the victims were women who were sleeping on the top floor of the building when the fire broke out at around 3.55am.
Three women managed to escape from the burning room but were initially unable to open the exit door as it was locked.
A hydraulic car jack was eventually used to pry open the doors, and the women managed to escape.
Police investigator Jonathan Basil said: “The women kept on pounding the hot steel gate while yelling for help.”
One woman who managed to escape from the fire was Mylene Tulo. Ms Tulo said: “We wanted to rouse others from sleep, but the fire was already too strong.”
It is not uncommon for employees in Philippine stores to sleep on the premises overnight especially those who live faraway.
8 teenagers arrested after Longton arson attack
Arrests have now been made after a major fire broke out at a warehouse in Longton.
A total of 8 teenagers aged 14 and 15 from Stoke-on-Trent were arrested in connection with the fire and have been questioned by police officers. Seven have been granted bail and one 14 year old is being held in custody.
The warehouse was destroyed in the blaze and the surrounding areas suffered severe disruption to roads and rail services.
Brian Griffiths, from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue, said: “This was a very severe fire and has destroyed the contents of the building, believed to have mainly been pottery lithographs. Following a joint fire and police investigation yesterday we are treating this fire as suspicious and the police have made some arrests in connection with this incident.”
Richard Cresswell who is the chairman of Longton Chamber of Trade believes that the building will continue to be the target of arson attacks. He said: “The fire was about 20 yards from our Calor gas depot, so the fire fighters had to force their way in to keep all the cylinders damp as a precaution. They had to do it, although the risk of explosion was minimal. That building has been empty for five or six years now and this is the second time it’s been set on fire. The last time was around 18 months ago. They should knock the thing down before it happens again. The fire was absolutely horrendous. There’s nothing for teenagers to do around here, so you will get some who will break into a building and see if they can get the fire brigade out.”