Fire at Essex timber yard
A fire broke out at a timber yard in Essex on the evening of 6th November. Around 40 residents were forced to evacuate as smoke and flames spread.
The incident happened at around 6pm at Grays Wood Products on Stanley Road in Grays. 50 firefighters from across the region attended the blaze.
A cordon was put in place around the yard while crews battled the intense fire.
Divisional officer Greg Keys said: “Crews faced a real inferno when they arrived at the scene. The corner plot where the shop and yard stood was radiating heat and smoke with the contents of the yard fueled by a whole range of flammable liquids you would expect to find in a timber yard. Fire fighters say the building could collapse at any time. The first priority was to evacuate families as there was every possibility that the blaze was going to spread right through the terrace. While that was going on, the first crews went straight in to the immense heat and smoke to do what they could to save the property and prevent spread. There was nothing that could be done to protect the timber yard and shop but they worked hard to ensure the blaze did not spread beyond the first, adjoining terraced house. The fire is now coming under control and we have ordered a four pump relief with an aerial ladder and expect to be on site through the night. It is unlikely that the families will be able to return to their homes this evening as the houses have no power.”
Crews remained on the scene for almost 12 hours ensuring the flames were properly extinguished. There were no casualties reported in the incident. It was reported that arson was initially suspected but this was later denied.
Divisional Officer, Vernon Kendall said: “The site was completely secure and there was no sign of a break in. On that basis police scenes of crime were not needed at the site.”
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.”