Listed home’s roof destroyed in Appleshaw fire
A grade II listed property in Appleshaw, Hampshire was badly damaged following a house fire where 60 firefighters from Hampshire and Wiltshire were called to the scene. Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service said the roof of the family home was “well alight” when they arrived, however no-one was injured in the blaze.
The house is occupied by John Goold and his family and he described the experience: “I thought ‘That looks a bit too close to home’, and when I got back the family were in the garden in their pyjamas. “There was a lot of smoke and it was pretty scary. I can’t overstate how amazing the fire brigade were,” he said.
The cause of the fire is still being investigated.
Man dies in Barnsley house fire
Early this week three fire engines from Cudworth, Barnsley and Tankersley stations were called to a fire where the a man died.
An investigation has been taking place following the Barnsley house fire.
The man, believed to be in his 60s, was the only person in the house on Woodhall Road, Darfield. When firefighters arrived the ground floor of the semi-detached house was well alight. Wearing breathing apparatus and using hose reels to extinguish the fire the crew tackled the blaze.
A full investigation into the cause of the fire will take place today.
Scottish house fire numbers decrease but number of fatalities rises
Recent figures have shown that the number of house fires in Scotland has dropped to its lowest level in over 10 years. Sadly, although this figure has dropped, there has been a 10% rise in deaths.
Figures show that 57 people died in fires in 2011-12, compared with 52 in 2010-11. Around 45% of these fatal house fires were caused by matches and smoker materials and cooking appliances were responsible for 58% of all accidental house fires.
17% of these accidental house fires were thought to have been connected to drink or drugs.
A particularly shocking statistic is that in nearly 50% of house fires in 2010-11 there was either no smoke alarm, or the smoke alarm did not work.
Community safety minister, Roseanna Cunningham said: “It is thanks to the work of fire and rescue services – which I have seen fantastic examples of in schools, workplaces and communities – that house fires are continuing to decrease across Scotland and lives are being saved. It is a tragedy however that lives continue to be lost to fire every year. Every death is devastating and underlines that we all need to be on our guard against the risks. Once again, alcohol and/or drugs were suspected to have been a factor in at least one in six accidental house fires. Although other key figures in this publication indicate an improving awareness of the danger of fire in our homes, this underlines that a link remains between alcohol, drug use and fire. The most important message we can give is not to be complacent and always be on your guard. We also urge you to get a smoke alarm and check it regularly to ensure it is in working order.”
David McLetchie, Scottish Conservative community safety spokesman said: “The news that house fires in Scotland are at their lowest in a decade is a testament to the hard work of officers in raising awareness of fire prevention in Scotland’s communities. However, it’s of great concern that a greater percentage of fires in people’s homes are involving alcohol or drugs. Equally worrying is that fatality and casualty rates in Scotland remain considerably higher than the rest of the UK.”
English and Welsh statistics are not yet available for comparison.
Arrests made after 3 die in house fire
Three people have died in a house fire in Prestatyn in North Wales.
Lee-Anna Shiers, aged 20, was killed with her niece Skye Allen and nephew Bailey Allen when a fire broke out in their flat in Prestatyn.
Miss Shiers’ partner Liam Timbrell, and their baby son are being treated in hospital.
North Wales Police have arrested two tenants from the same building on suspicion of murder.
Firefighters tried to save the victims at the flat in Maes Y Groes, Prestatyn, at around 10pm on Friday 19th October.
A spokesperson for the Welsh Ambulance Service said that the survivors were taken to Glan Clwyd Hospital where they remain in a critical but stable condition.
Detective Superintendent John Chapman said: “My heart goes out to the family and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time. We would appeal for anyone who may have seen anything suspicious in the Maes y Groes area of Prestatyn yesterday evening to get in contact as soon as possible by calling us on 101. We are deploying family liaison officers to work closely with the next of kin at this difficult time. There is a team of dedicated officers working on specific lines of inquiry in relation to this incident.”
Mother and children escape house fire
A woman managed to escape from her home with her three children after a fire broke out in the roof space of their Lowerhouses home.
Fire crews attended the incident on Hall Cross Road at around 9.30am on 19th February.
Although the flames were quickly brought under control, thick smoke had spread into the two neighbouring houses. Firefighters used giant fans to blow it away.
A spokesman for the Fire Service said: “People should have smoke detectors on every level of their home, including the roof space or loft if it is used for storage or anything else.’’
There were no injuries reported in the incident.