Fire services across the UK warn of the dangers of Chinese lanterns
Fire services across the UK are warning of the dangers of using Chinese lanterns.
The paper lanterns are used to celebrate weddings and birthdays and becoming increasingly popular in the UK, especially in the summer months.
Fire crew across the UK have had to deal with a string of accidents involving the lanterns in the last few months. In St Annes, Lancashire there have been incidents were the lanterns had fallen onto the roof of a petrol station and others that have set alight to trees. Lancashire fire bosses are urging residents to think carefully before using them.
Steve Morgan, Prevention Support Manager at Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said: “There is no guarantee the fuel source will be fully extinguished and cooled when the lantern eventually descends and that presents a real fire hazard, having started four fires, typically by landing in dry vegetation, in the past 18 months in Lancashire. Though that’s not a large number in itself reports from other parts of the country, including those of a lantern burning through the wall of a marquee at the Glastonbury Festival and a near miss on a roof at Winchester Cathedral, suggests it’s only a matter of time before a lantern starts a serious blaze in Lancashire.”
In Bamber Bridge, lanterns were launched in the yard of a house during a late-night party. The lanterns were then blown onto fabric garden chairs causing a fire which quickly spread to the kitchen wall and spread to an air vent which then channelled the fire upwards into the cavity wall between the house and the neighbouring property.
Steve Morgan added: “With recent experience of a week-long moorland fire at Belmont, we are only too aware of the way grass, shrubs and trees can easily and quickly ignite and burn with great ferocity. Lanterns can travel considerable distances and their flight direction and where they land is unpredictable, so there is a strong argument to ban their use altogether, which is the case in most parts of Germany and even in some provinces of their country of origin.”
Fire at Billingham chemical plant
10 fire crews were called to a huge fire at a chemical plant in Billingham last Thursday.
The fire at the GrowHow plant, which employs more than 600 people, started at around 5.40pm on 2nd June and was quickly dealt with by the on site emergency services and Cleveland Fire Brigade.
Gerard Suggitt from Stranton Fire Station said: “All three of our appliances went out to the fire. We got the call at around 5.40pm, but didn’t leave the site until 8pm. We left when the fire had completely extinguished and luckily no-one was injured.”
A spokesperson for GrowHow said: “Safety is out top priority and the incident was managed professionally and safely by its employees and the emergency services. The company has begun an investigation into the cause of the fire.”
Kent fire crews battle huge blaze
A fire which broke out in a building in Wildernesse Avenue in Kent could have been started deliberately.
The fire broke out last Wednesday and was attended by fire crews from Swanley, Thameside, Maidstone, Larkfield, Sevenoaks, Seal and Tonbridge.
Witness, Sue Marks said: “A woman who lives in this street smelled the smoke. The firefighters were in here for a long time. Our shop absolutely stinks of smoke and there’s ash all over the plants.”
Steve Whitehead, who runs a shop in the High Street, said: “We smelled something burning and were wondering what it was – my office manager Gemma Knight said it smelled like a barbecue. Then we noticed the smoke out the window and she realised what was going on, so she called the police – it was about 1.20pm.There was still smoke billowing out everywhere – I can’t believe how bad it was. It’s just lucky nobody got hurt, but it makes you wonder.”
A spokesperson for West Kent Police said: “The circumstances surrounding the cause of the fire are being investigated.”
Huge fire at Norfolk Heinz Factory
Over 90 firefighters tackled a huge inferno at a Norfolk factory last week.
The fire started at around 6pm on 6th May at the Heinz Frozen and Chilled Foods factory in Westwick and is thought to have started in an industrial fryer.
60 members of staff were evacuated and there were no casualties according to the Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service.
A large area around the factory was cordoned off. Thick black smoke billowed from the area but local residents were not asked to evacuate.
Mr Britzman from the fire service said: “Locals may be concerned about the smoke but there are no hazardous materials stored on the site. We would advise them however to keep their windows closed.”
Fire crews were unable to enter the area containing the fryer due to the risk of the building collapsing and had to spray the building with foam from the outside using the aerial ladders.
An investigation to confirm the cause of the fire will be carried out.
Fire at Welsh nuclear power plant
200 members of staff were evacuated after a fire at a nuclear power station in Wales broke out on 5th May.
Fire crews were unable to attend to the fire immediately as it was thought that live electrical cables were involved.
The Trawsfynydd plant is in North-West Wales and is due to be decommissioned within the next few years. The decommissioning process began in 1993.
According Magnox BNFL, the fire is believed to have started in the water cooling units used for cooling the reactors and is thought to have been an electrical fault.
A spokesperson at the plant confirmed that no one was injured in the fire and there is no risk of any radiation leaks.