Attack on firefighters by youths in Shelton
It has been reported that a fire crew who turned up to a waste fire in Shelton, Stoke-on-Trent, last Sunday were subjected to an attack by a group of youths.
Firefighters from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service arrived at the scene besides the Bell and Bear pub located in Stoke Road to put out a fire when they were set upon by over 20 youths who threw bottles, stones and even fireworks at them, forcing them to retreat back towards the fire engine.
The fire crew were called to the incident at around 6:30pm when the attack happened and the fire area commander has since condemned what took place that evening.
Wayne Bowcock said:
“The crew that attended the emergency call are all dedicated professionals who are proud that they save lives and property in Stoke-on-Trent.
“They are all angry and shocked that they were subjected to such a spineless attack, particularly in an area where we have good relationships with the local community.
“This shameful and cowardly attack really does make us wonder what the perpetrators would think of their behaviour if their friends or family ever have the misfortune to need the help of the fire and rescue service in an emergency.”
The youths backed away when the police were called for back-up.
There were no injuries reported following the attack although the vehicle was damaged by the missiles thrown at it.
Foam in river after warehouse fire
Firefighters have been battling to stop detergent foam from spreading further down river following a fire at a warehouse in Newton Aycliffe late last week.
As the fire was extinguished at Stiller, a warehouse containing aerosol cans, on Friday, a reaction caused foam to travel down the River Skerne to Darlington centre. However, the Environment Agency has confirmed that there is no toxic threat from the foam.
Staff had to be evacuated from the premises at 1pm on Friday afternoon, although it was confirmed that there were no injuries.
Fire crews managed to save the main offices at the factory, with employees expected to go back to work once the site has been made safe.
The operations manager for County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service, Dave Turnbull, said:
“What we have managed to do is stop the fire spreading to other buildings and offices so the management side of Stiller is still operational.
“The company, as far as I’m aware, will be able to kick off ASAP. Once they get the goahead from the Health and Safety Executive, they can start operating. All they will need is another storage area.”
An investigation into the blaze is still being carried out.
Parliament to hear landlord fire safety bill
The House of Common is preparing for the second reading of a private members bill stating that all landlords would be required by law to ensure that their properties are equipped with working smoke alarms.
The new law would mean that all landlords of public and private properties would be responsible for fitting and maintaining mains wired smoke alarm systems at the beginning of every new tenancy. Once fitted, this responsibility to maintain the fire alarms would pass to the tenant.
Currently, landlords are required to provide safe gas and electrical supplies but in many cases are not required by law to provide smoke alarms when it is a known fact that there are many more deaths from fire each year than by the effects of gas, carbon monoxide and electricity.
Dozens of lives are lost each year to fire related accidents in the home. Devon & Somerset Fire and Rescue Service Chief Fire Officer, Lee Howell is giving his full support to the bill and has said “It has been proved time and time again that working smoke alarms can save lives. It makes such a difference – in some cases a life and death difference”.
Mr Howell urges the public to contact their MPs to ask them to support the bill that will be heard later this month.
Fire chief warns public ahead of Bonfire Night
With Bonfire Night just a day away, a senior figure in the fire service have warned those celebrating the event that it is safer to go to an organised fireworks display rather than holding a party at home.
This call comes in the wake of a rise in firework-related injuries over the past few years, especially amongst those who are under-16. And now it has been said that it won’t be long till there are more serious injuries from fireworks at amateur displays.
South Wales Fire and Rescue Service’s chief fire officer, Andy Marles, said:
“Every year, crews from South Wales Fire and Rescue Service spend a great deal of time responding to calls caused by the misuse of fireworks, and it’s only a matter of time before someone gets seriously injured.
“We want people to celebrate this year’s Bonfire Night in the safest way possible, and are encouraging them to attend organised public firework displays in their area, which are much safer, more entertaining and much more cost effective.
“However, we are also reminding those people who will continue to buy fireworks for private displays, to always rigorously follow the Fireworks Code and abide by the Fireworks Regulations.”
If you are going to have a fireworks display at home, always remember the fire risk and take all necessary precautions.
Timely fire safety warning for homeowners with chimneys
As we are nearing the end of October and temperatures are starting to fall, Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service has issued a warning to those beginning to use their fires again, to ensure they get their chimneys cleaned professionally.
This advice has come following a number of fires where the owners of the home had neglected to get the chimney swept for winter or where logs were piled up alongside woodburners.
A spokesman for the fire service said:
“We have been called to a number of fires in the South Devon area recently which could have been prevented by the owners making sure their chimneys were cleaned before the start of the colder weather.
“There has also been a fire in which the owners had piled logs next to the wood burner and through convection and radiation the logs heated up and caught fire.
“Often people think this is a good way of drying out logs, but it can very dangerous.”
The fire service also offered some advice to those with chimneys explaining how professional cleaning is the only way to be sure they are fully clear of debris. They also explained how logs should be stored well away from a woodburner and that those with old houses should look out for exposed beams near the chimney area.