Two men injured in ‘beds in sheds’ fire
The Fire Service has warned of the dangers of outbuildings being used as living accommodation after two men were rescued from a shed being used as a bedsit in Melfort Road, Thornton Heath on 2nd October.
The two men suffered burns and smoke inhalation and were taken to hospital for treatment.
Watch Manager Simon Chalk, said: “We acted really quickly to get the two unconscious men out of the severe fire. The outhouse was completely gutted and we made sure the fire didn’t spread further. The cause of the fire is now under investigation.”
Statistics show that over the last three years there have been 235 fires in outbuildings that have people living in them when they should not have been. Four people have died, and 45 have suffered serious injuries.
Chair of London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority’s Strategy Committee Cllr Crada Onuegbu said: “The issue of “beds in sheds,” as well as people living in other unsuitable buildings, continues to be a concern, as unscrupulous landlords looking to make a quick buck put lives at risk in shoddy accommodation. These figures are a stark reminder that properties like these are potentially lethal fire traps. It’s inevitable that people living in them rely on far riskier ways of heating, cooking and lighting but unfortunately fire safety is not a priority for the landlords who illegally rent them out. It’s not only people living in this accommodation whose lives are being put in danger. There’s also an increased risk to our firefighters if they need to carry out life-saving rescues in buildings that are in a state of dereliction and that were never intended to be used as sleeping accommodation.”
Residents evacuated as fire breaks out in Cambridgeshire garage
Fire crews from across Cambridgeshire were called to a fire which broke out in a commercial garage in the early hours of 10th October.
A cordon of around 200 meters was put in place around the Milestone Motor Company in Manor Farm. Many residents in Gravely had to be evacuated at around 3.30am as firefighters feared gas cylinders stored in the garage may explode.
A spokesperson from Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “Due to the cylinders involved, the fire service put a 200 metre cordon in place and police alerted residents within the cordon, some of which were evacuated. Other residents who are less at risk were advised of the situation.”
Crews from Papworth, St Neots, Huntingdon, St Ives and Ramsey fire stations attended the incident.
There were no casualties reported in the incident.
Hotel owners fined over £40,000 for fire safety breaches
The owners of a hotel in Bideford have been fined for breaching fire safety regulations after a large fire broke out in the early hours of 31st May 2011.
The company that operates Tantons Hotel, was fined around £40,000 and ordered to pay £10,000 costs at Exeter Crown Court, pleading guilty to five offences under The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
55 people were evacuated from the property, among those, four had to be rescued from the roof of the building by police and fire crews after becoming trapped by extreme heat and thick smoke.
It was found that the hotel had not maintained its fire alarm systems, it’s fire doors and fire risk assessment were inadequate and escape routes were blocked.
Graham Rooke from Bideford said: “The Judge gave a clear indication that a strong message needed to go out to those that manage and invest in hotels about the importance of fire safety. Had the finances of the company been in a stronger position, he would have considered fines of between £25,000 and £35,000 for each of the five offences.”
He added “Generally, the standards of accommodation within Devon and Somerset are very good. However, the Fire Authority believed that in this case, the fire safety breaches within the hotel were of such a serious nature that legal action was required. It is my firm belief that the actions of the on-scene emergency services and a member of the hotel staff undoubtedly saved lives that would have been lost. It is important that those people who are responsible for these types of properties understand the law regarding fire safety and what is required of them, and that they realise that any failings will be taken seriously by the service.”
Chemical company fined after major fire
A company in Doncaster has been fined over £20,00 after a major fire broke out on its premises in 2010.
The incident happened on 26th June, 2010 at Solvents with Safety Ltd on the Plumtree Farm Industrial Estate in Harworth. The building was completely destroyed in the fire.
The Health and Safety Executive found that staff had been decanting a highly flammable liquid from a large container, into a smaller one. This is known as ‘Splash Filling’ and it is known to be a serious fire risk as static electricity is generated, which in certain circumstances can cause the liquid and vapours to ignite.
The Health and Safety Executive told Doncaster Magistrates Court that it had warned Solvents with Safety twice about decanting chemicals in this way in May 2006 and later in December 2007.
The company was fined £20,000 under Reg 6(1) of the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 and also had to pay almost £7,000 in costs.
HSE inspector Jayne Towey said: “The method they used was fraught with risk to say the least, and the generation of static charge could have been prevented by the provision of a longer filling pipe to avoid splash filling. This was a reasonably practicable measure to take, and the company was well aware of the dangers on the back of earlier HSE advice.”
Blaze at Royal Seven Stars Hotel in Totnes
Eight fire crews from Totnes and Paignton attended a large fire at a hotel in Totnes on Saturday 29th September..
Crews spent around 4 hours at the Royal Seven Stars Hotel, in The Plains, after a blaze broke out in the kitchen area just before 10pm. Additional crews from Torquay and Crownhill were later called to assist with the operation.
All 35 guests at the hotel were evacuated safely with no reported casualties. Guests were later transferred to alternative accommodation at the nearby Grand Hotel in Torquay.
The fire started in the ground floor kitchen and quickly spread to the first floor ballroom. Smoke was seen billowing from the first floor.
The fire was under control by around 2.30am and by 3.04am, the fire service confirmed the fire had been fully extinguished.
The hotel has confirmed that it plans to remain open although due to smoke and fire damage, the ballroom would be out of use for a few weeks.
A spokesperson for the Royal Seven Stars said: “The Royal Seven Stars had a fire last night. We are open for business in the bars as usual, but no food for 2 days. The ballroom will be out of use for a few weeks but will be open as usual from November onwards.”
They added: “Thanks for all the kind messages, no one was hurt. We have some damage to kitchen and ballroom only. We are open as usual, but no food today.”
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service confirm that the fire started in the kitchen area and involved deep fat fryers.