Lincolnshire explosion kills five
Five men have died in an explosion at an industrial unit in Boston, Lincolnshire.
The incident at the Broadfield Lane industrial estate was attended by 5 fire crews at around 7.00pm on Wednesday.
Firefighters rescued one man who is now in a serious condition in Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) in Nottingham.
Dave Ramscar from Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “In total, 35 firefighters attended this incident and along with our control room staff, did an incredible job in very difficult circumstances. All the crews involved have been offered emotional support and counselling, as thankfully, most firefighters rarely experience an incident as serious as this. Our thoughts go out to the families of the men whose lives were tragically lost on Wednesday night, and to the sixth man who we understand is still in a hospital with severe burns. We are continuing to work with Lincolnshire Police to look into the cause of the incident and any further investigations that may need to take place”
Lincolnshire Police said it was not clear what had caused the blast but reports suggest that the unit was being used for distilling illegal alcohol.
Superintendent Keith Owen, from Lincolnshire Police, said: “Our main focus is to identify the unfortunate people who died last night. I don’t want to speculate on whether this was or was not a distillery at this stage. What we’re looking for at the moment are witnesses and being able to identify the persons who lost their lives last night. That’s the main focus of our investigation at the moment.”
Fire in Louth Nightclub
A fire broke out at a nightclub in Louth last Thursday.
40 firefighters tackled the fire at Moomins Club in Queen Street, Louth which started at around 8pm.
The bar which is above the Edinburgh Woollen Mill shop was due to reopen after undergoing refurbishment.
Neil Bunch from Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “The incident was left open and there were a number of smoke hot spots which have now been dealt with. We have been stripping the roof and taking all the scorched timber down to make it safe. The bar is not badly damaged, but the toilets were affected by the fire and water. It was being spruced up and was meant to be open this weekend.”
Chris Dye, area manager for Edinburgh Woollen Mill, said: “The fire has damaged hundreds of pounds worth of stock and there is also water damage in the shop. We have been taking advice from the fire service and a building inspector and we just hope we don’t inconvenience the people of Louth for much longer.”
It is thought that the fire started in an adjoining, unoccupied flat and it is not being treated as suspicious.
Woman died in fire started by discarded cigarette
Wales Fire and Rescue Service are urging people to look out for their friends and neighbours after a woman died in a house fire in Mold last year.
Wendy Tranter, who was 55, died in a fire at her home in Llys Dderwen despite the smoke alarm sounding. It is believed that the fire was started by a discarded cigarette.
When North Wales Fire and Rescue Service arrived at the scene, the fire had been smouldering for some time and sadly, Ms Tranter was found dead in a bedroom.
Bob Mason from North Wales Fire and Rescue Service said; “It is our responsibility as members of the community to ensure that all those around us are safe in their homes. This woman did have smoke alarms fitted, and although they operated, sadly the alarm was not heeded– smoke alarms are designed to provide an early warning signal which could mean the difference between life and death. Never ignore the sound of a smoke alarm. And remember, make sure you always extinguish your smoking materials – it is all too easy to fall asleep when your cigarette is still burning.”
Half of UK fire deaths happened in buildings fitted with fire alarms
A recent report has shown that around 80% of buildings in the UK are fitted with smoke alarms.
Despite this fact, almost half of fire deaths in buildings last year happened in a building that had working smoke alarms. It is a known fact that many people disable their alarms if they go off frequently and then forget to replace the batteries.
Most fires in the home start in the kitchen and many have some involvement with alcohol. Rob Davies, from West Midlands fire and rescue service, said: “About 60% of house fires are caused by fires in the kitchen. But when you come onto fatalities and fire deaths, it’s slightly different. In fact, with 40% of fire fatalities there has been some involvement with alcohol.”
Sheila Merrill from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said that often, people who lost their lives in a fire in their home had not heard the fire alarms due to being in a deep sleep because of alcohol or medication. |Another contributing factor to these deaths is that although fire alarms are fitted, escape exits have not been planned. Ms Merrill said: “In some instances, they could have heard the alarm but their exit out of the house is actually blocked by the fire, so they’re still unable to get out. And what we have to remember is that nine times out of 10, it’s not the fire that kills you, it’s the smoke.”
The Governments chief fire and rescue adviser said: “Simple checks such as closing doors every night and avoiding overloaded plugs will help reduce the risk in the home. If the worst should happen, everyone should make sure they are prepared and have an established and practiced escape route in place,” he said.
It is important to ensure that your smoke alarms are working and The Fire Training Academy encourage you to get into the habit of testing your alarms every Tuesday. Join us on Facebook and Twitter to get your weekly ‘Test it Tuesday’ reminders.
Businesses evacuated after sub-station fire
Firefighters were called to a fire in Scunthorpe after a fire broke out in an electric sub-station.
The sub-station was damaged by the fire which led to businesses including the Blue Bell Inn, Industry and Matrix Club being without electricity.
The pub and club had to be evacuated just before midnight on Friday and the area was cordoned off by police.
Pete Baron, Spokesman for Humberside Fire and Rescue Service said: “Two crews were sent, but because it was a sub-station, we couldn’t tackle the blaze until Yorkshire Electric isolated the power. The first thing was boundary cooling and keeping everything in the surrounding area was protected. The nature of the fuel involved will have caused the fire to be quite big, It burns quite ferociously.”
Unmanned water jets set at a very high volume were used and the fire was eventually extinguished using three hose reel jets.
A spokesperson for Humberside Police said: “The public order officers were already at the scene and there was minimal risk to the public. Officers ensured no one was injured or at risk.”
Nicky Pound who witnessed the incident said: “We walked into the Blue Bell Inn just before midnight and a fire engine went past. Then at about 12.05am, everything in Frodingham Road just went black. The bouncers were saying ‘everybody out, as quickly as you can’. It was all cordoned off and there were plumes of black smoke. It was a bit scary as nobody knew what was going on, but the town centre emptied quite quietly.”
Many businesses and more than 300 homes were without power after the blaze but Yorkshire Electric Distribution Limited managed to restore power by late Saturday afternoon.
The cause of the fire is not known but foul play is not suspected.