Fire at Selkirk dye factory
A fire broke out last week at a Selkirk dye factory.
50 firefighters from Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service attended the blaze. 8 pumps and one high rise appliance were used to get the fire under control.
A spokesperson for the Fire Service said: “The fire is now under control although there will be hot spots in the building and crews are expected to be at the scene for several hours. A number of mixed chemicals for dyeing were involved in the fire and as a result, we sought advice from scientific advisors about how best to manage those issues.”
There were no injuries reported but nearby homes were advised to keep their windows and doors shut, and to stay inside if possible.
An investigation into the cause of the blaze will be carried out.
Arson suspected in Worcester fire
A fire which tore through a block of flats at around 11pm on Monday is thought to be arson.
Six fire engines, more than fifty firefighters and two aerial ladder platforms tackled the blaze in Worcester.
Det Sgt Phil Colley said: “We are treating the fire as suspicious at this time and are continuing to work closely with the fire brigade as investigations continue. Anyone with information should contact police immediately.”
The building is now unsafe to enter and most of the roof has collapsed. Nearby buildings were also damaged by the fire. Structural engineers will be carrying out a full inspection to assess the damage.
No one was injured in the fire.
£30,000 damage at family run waste disposal site
A fire which broke out at a waste disposal site in Calne last week has caused around £30,000 worth of damage.
The fire at Calne Aggregates started in a large shed on the site and quickly spread. Fire units from Calne and Chippenham and Wootten Bassett fought the blaze for several hours after receiving the alert at around 1.30am on 9th May.
The business is owned by Martin Hudd and his wife Heidi. Mrs Hudd said: “We got a phone call at about 1am from a chap who works on the lorries at a local farm. He said he could see the shed and thought it could be on fire but he wasn’t sure. We came out and saw it was all ablaze so we called the fire brigade. They were still here in the afternoon making sure it was all safe because a massive load of mixed waste was ablaze. We managed to stay sort-of open but people couldn’t come and tip but we were still delivering skips. We have been working here for 20 years and nothing like this has ever happened to us before, it was a big shock. Now we have got sheds to repair and that’s going to be a big job.”
The cause of the fire is still unknown and investigators will take some time to come to a conclusion.
Arson suspected in Keighley store blaze
A fire which tore through Poundstretcher in Keighley last week is thought to be arson.
Dozens of firefighters, 8 fire engines and a mobile command unit attended the fire at the Cavendish Retail Park at around 6.30pm on 10th May.
Trevor O’Hara, 51, who witnessed the blaze said: “The flames were spectacular at first, really visible even though we were kept a good distance away. The firefighters got things under control very quickly but the smoke was still extremely dense. It was unpleasant to breathe in so I decided not to hang around.”
Fire engines tackled the fire from the front and the rear of the building and although no flames were visible from outside the building, the damage to the building was ‘significant’ and will probably have to be demolished.
Philip Smith, town centre manager said: “It’s sad to see a store that has recently had a refit suffer from a fire so badly. It is a Keighley Town Centre Association member and we’ll be looking to support it in any way we can. We look forward to seeing the store getting back into business as soon as possible.”
North Bradford Police have said: “A 16-year-old Keighley youth has been arrested in connection with the incident and bailed pending further inquiries. Investigations into the blaze, which is being treated as suspicious, are ongoing with the fire service.”
Luxury Sunseeker yacht goes up in flames
A huge fire broke out on a luxury 34 metre Sunseeker Yacht in Poole Quay last week.
Firefighters tackled the blaze for many hours but the £9m vessel was destroyed.
Chief Operating Officer of Sunseeker International, Stewart McIntrye said: “The insurers have already been notified, we did that during the night. A surveyor has been appointed. We will go through our standard procedures.”
Mike Cox from the fire service said that weather conditions at the time of the fire were helping them in their efforts as the wind was blowing the fumes and smoke away from the area.
A witness to the blaze said: “One of the party saw a flicker of flame out of the corner of his eye and we went outside to see what was happening. It all seemed to take hold very quickly and was very dramatic. It was extremely sad to see it all being destroyed. It was fairly quiet on the quay at that point but it soon drew quite a big crowd.”
The boat which can accommodate 10 guests and 5 crew members was due to be delivered to it’s Mexican buyer this week.
An investigation into the cause of the fire will be carried out but initial findings show that foul play is not suspected.