Investigation begins into Wimblington factory blaze
An inquiry has now been given the go-ahead to start following a fire which badly damaged a plastics factory in Wimblington, Cambridgeshire last Wednesday afternoon.
Firefighters were called to Plasgran in Manea Road just after 3pm and still remained at the scene over 16 hours later as they attempted to extinguish the flames.
A number of roads in the area were closed until around lunchtime on the Thursday, as the fire service worked through the night in order to tackle the fire.
The 75 firefighters on duty, with their eight appliances, managed to prevent the fire from spreading to other properties in the vicinity and by 11pm the situation was described as being under control.
The fire was initially reported by workers who were having a break when they noticed that a unit had been ignited.
The owner of the factory, Carl Waters, attended the scene with his father-in-law, former councillor Pop Jolley, who came to see how much damage had been done to the premises.
Steve Robinson, the incident commander of Cambridgeshire Fire Service, said the building, which was filled with plastic material, was now a total loss and that the cause of the blaze is now under investigation.
Flat fire spreads to restaurant in Crowthorne
A fire which is believed to have started in one of the flats above a restaurant in Crowthorne, Berkshire, last Monday night, managed to spread to the premises below.
The damage to Chillis restaurant in Dukes Ride is said to have been the result of the water used by firefighters tackling the blaze.
Fire crews arrived from Bracknell, Crowthorne and Windsor just after 10.30pm to get the fire under control and when they got to the scene they found flames coming through the roof as well as the windows.
The 25 firefighters stayed until nearly 2am to extinguish the flames but were unable to prevent the fire from devastating the properties concerned.
During the incident, the road outside the restaurant had to be closed, although it did reopen later in the morning.
There were no reports of any injuries following the blaze, despite the home evacuations which were carried out by fire safety personnel.
The cause of the fire is not yet known and an investigation is now underway into how it began.
This particular situation may not have originated from the restaurant itself but if you are an owner of such an establishment it is important for you to consider your fire safety procedures unique to a kitchen and restaurant environment.
Staff charged with arson after fire causes more than £500,000 worth of damage
A fire at a pub in North Wales has caused more than £500,000 worth of damage.
The fire broke out at The Running Hare in Ewloe early on 6th February.
Firefighters from Deeside and Buckley fire stations attended the blaze.
Head chef Clinton Stephen and assistant manager Christopher Drake who both work at the pub, have appeared at Flintshire Magistrates Court and have been charged with arson.
The pub is not expected to open again until later April.
Fire chief issues Chinese lantern warning
A Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service official has discouraged the use of Chinese lanterns throughout the region as many people gear up to celebrate the ‘Year of the Rabbit’ from today.
The fire service has issued this warning at the beginning of the Chinese New Year due to concerns over the use of these sky or wish lanterns, as they are often known.
Due to the fact that the lanterns are constructed using a paper or fabric shell and often a bamboo frame, they have been known to have caused a number of fires in other countries.
The lanterns, which are usually ignited so that they rise in the air, have already been banned in Germany and Australia because of incidents involving stray lanterns and reports of damage to homes, with one fire even resulting in a death.
Despite there being a list of safety instructions included with the purchase of these lanterns, their use is still strongly discouraged by the fire service.
Steve McGuirk, the County Fire Officer and Chief Executive, said:
“We want everyone to enjoy the Chinese New Year celebrations safely and we would ask people to think carefully before using Chinese lanterns – once lit and released there is no control over its direction or where it lands.”
Fire ravaged Indian restaurant in Edinburgh to reopen
It has been revealed that a popular Indian restaurant which was badly damaged in a blaze, back in 2008, is finally expected to open again, possibly by the end of the year.
Khushi’s, situated on Victoria Street, has been closed since December of 2008, due to the city centre blaze which also caused devastation to two other businesses, now both reopened.
Partner Islam Mohammed has confirmed that the work on the building should take up to 12 months to finish now that the insurance is all but sorted out.
Mr Mohammed said:
“Once we get clarification from (the insurers] we can start, hopefully in the spring. It’s difficult to say just now what the timescales are – we have to get in and see what state it is in – but I’d imagine it could take between nine and 12 months to complete.”
Local authorities hope that the development will bring back character and energy to the area.
Liberal Democrat councillor Charles Dundas said:
“It’s certainly not in the economic interest to have a large gap site there, so I’m pleased things seem to be moving forward.”
The fire was started in the kitchen of the restaurant and the damage was said to have been extensive. However, the future prognosis is certainly looking much brighter, especially with the news that work will begin in the spring.