100 tonnes of scrap metal burns in West Midlands fire
A fire which started on 20th August could continue to burn for several days.
Firefighters from across the West Midlands attended the fire at the ENR scrapyard in Nechells, Birmingham at around 7pm on 20th August. Over 100 tonnes of scrap metal went up in flames.
Jim Sinnett from West Midlands Fire Service said: “This is going to take some days maybe to be fully extinguished. But as long as we have got water in there and it doesn’t spread and cause any further damage we will be quite satisfied with that.”
An investigation into the cause of the fire will now be carried out.
Fire destroys Doddington farm building
Around 25 firefighters attended a large fire at a farm in Doddington near Sittingbourne on 21st August.
The fire started in a shed that was used to store oil, sprayers, lubricants and other chemicals.
Farm owner Kevin Attwood said: “By the time I got there the whole building was ablaze. We’ve got some conversion work being done on outbuildings relatively close, certainly too close for comfort. Close enough to be a worry.”
Several roads were closed and local residents were advised to keep windows and doors shut due to the thick black smoke coming from the property.
Graham Cuthbert, who runs a campsite nearby said that he advised campers to leave the area. Mr Cuthbert said: “It was thick black smoke. You could hear the fire crackling and popping.”
Most of the building was destroyed in the incident.
Residents evacuated in tower block fire
Seven residents were rescued by firefighters after a huge fire ripped through a block of flats in Lewisham on the morning of 15th August.
Five women and two young children were rescued from the flats in Campshill Road. Fire control officers were needed to speak over the phone to residents still trapped in the building, telling them what they must do to stay safe whilst waiting to be rescued.
Four people jumped from the first floor of the building before the firefighters had arrived at the scene.
Several people were taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation and other injuries.
Ziggy Hurrion, from the London Fire Brigade said: “Seven lives were saved in the early hours of this morning due to the quick thinking actions of our staff. Both our control officers, who handled the 999 calls from those inside the flats, and the brave actions of our firefighters, ensured that five women and two children were safely rescued from the blaze. They were all heroes this morning. Ambulance crews and police officers also did a great job at what was undoubtedly a challenging incident for all who attended. Nine people were taken to hospital and fortunately, at this stage, we don’t believe anyone was seriously injured. I can’t praise the actions of our staff enough as this incident could easily have ended in tragedy.”
Much of the building was damaged in the fire and an investigation is now underway to find out how it started.
Manchester off-license owner fined over £22,000 for breaching fire safety regulations
The owner of an off-licence in Greater Manchester has been fined over £22,000 for breaching fire safety regulations. The fine is the largest ever fine issued in the area for fire safety breaches.
The owner, Tahair Mahmood Arif was found guilty of 9 offences under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 at Manchester Crown Court.
Inspectors visited the property in April 2011 and discovered that fire escape routes were locked with huge piles of rubbish, there were no fire alarms and a hall way was used to store a huge amount of combustible material. Windows had also been fitted with metal shutters.
Inspectors later discovered that despite the notice, Mr Arif was still using the property.
Assistant Chief Fire Officer Peter O’Reilly, Director of Prevention and Protection said: “By ignoring fire safety, Mr Arif placed the lives of his workers and others staying on the premises at risk. Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service works hard to educate businesses about their responsibilities, however, it is the responsibility of the business to comply with the law. Mr Arif chose to ignore our notices, and I am pleased that the court has recognised that this disregard for safety is a very serious matter. We will continue to prosecute cases where businesses put profit over safety and I hope this sends a clear message to others.”
Mr Arif was fined £22,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,195 and a £15 victim surcharge.
£21,000 fine for fire safety breach chip shop owner
The owner of the Beach Break Cafe fish and chip shop in Brighton has been found guilty of breaching fire safety regulations.
Ms Coull who owns the café was fined £21,000 after pleading guilty to breaching 6 fire safety regulations. The case was heard at Brighton Magistrates Court.
The breaches were discovered after a fire broke out in the property in 2011. The cafe had no emergency lighting and only one domestic standard smoke alarm, which was not working properly. A fire risk assessment had not been carried out in the property and staff had not been given any fire safety training.
Richard Fowler from East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said: “The public should continue to be reassured that we take any breaches of fire safety legislation very seriously.”