House fire: Smoke alarm saves five year old child from fire
Early on Saturday morning a 5 year old child was saved from a house fire because the family had a working fire alarm, the emergency services announced.
Fire crews from Newcastle Emlyn, Crymych and Cardigan attended the fire at Capel Iwan to find on arrival, the roof well alight.
A working smoke alarm woke the occupants and ensured their safe removal, including that of the five-year-old girl who was sleeping in the loft. If this alarm had not operated then then Watch Manager Emyr Jones said he was convinced that they would now be dealing with a tragedy.
This really goes to show how vital a working smoke alarm can be in saving lives. If you haven’t got one, please get one today or if you have one make sure you test it and it is working correctly.
Landlord fined over £15,000 for fire safety breaches
A Salford landlord has pleaded guilty to breaching fire safety regulations.
Raviv Dozetas, pleaded guilty to five breaches of the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2005 and to one offence under the Housing Act 2004 in a prosecution by Bolton Council. He was convicted at Bolton Magistrates’ Court on 18th May 2012.
The conviction follows an investigation carried out by Bolton Council officers on 6th October 2011, at a four storey block of flats in Bolton.
It was found that the fire alarm wasn’t working properly, smoke detectors in the flats had been covered up with blanking caps, self-closing fire doors and emergency lighting were not working and there was no firefighting equipment anywhere in the building.
Dozetas admitted that he was responsible for the premises and had not carried out a Fire Risk Assessment.
Dozetas was fined £3,500 for not carrying out a fire risk assessment and for failing to provide an adequate fire alarm and £1,000 each for the other offences. He was also ordered to pay the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service £3,285.75 in costs.
He was also fined £1,000 for renting out the property without a licence and £1000 in costs to Bolton Council.
Peter O’Reilly from GMFRS said: “There were nine flats in the building and Mr Dozetas profited from the rent whilst putting the tenants at risk. A private landlord should ensure that their flats are safe and this case highlights how GMFRS works closely with our partners to ensure the residents of Greater Manchester are safe. Prohibiting a building is a serious step particularly when it means people have to leave their homes, however Mr Dozetas’ disregard for the safety of his tenants left us with no choice until he put matters right.”
Nick Peel, Bolton Council’s Executive Cabinet Member for Regulatory Services said: “This successful joint prosecution sends out a message that the council and its partners will seek to take the strongest action against landlords who fail to maintain a safe home for their tenants. Our housing and public health team actively pursue those landlords who fail to license properties that meet the relevant criteria. We would like to remind landlords, of privately rented properties, that they should visit and check their properties on a regular basis and ensure that they are safe and free from serious hazards.”
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.
Lancashire house fire deaths : Smoke detectors not working
It has been reported that smoke detectors were not working in the Lancashire house where four children died earlier this month.
Reece Smith, 19, four-year-old twins Holly and Ella and Jordan, two, died after a fire broke out at their home in Freckleton, Lancashire last week.
The fire is thought to have started in one of the bedrooms and smoke spread quickly through the house.
Lancashire Police have confirmed that post-mortem examinations carried out by a Home Office pathologist has shown that each victim died as a result of the effects of smoke inhalation.
A spokesman for Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said: “We can confirm there were smoke detectors in the property but they did not work. Forensic examination has established they were not working before the fire. A working smoke detector can give an early warning with quite a small amount of smoke. More notice could have been given in this situation and maybe the tragedy could have been averted.”
Investigations continue into the exact cause of the fire.
London landlord fined £20,000 for fire safety failings
A London landlord has been fined £20,000 for breaching fire safety regulations.
Hitesh Mashru did not provide fire safety equipment or smoke detectors and also failed to carry out the appropriate house of multiple occupation (HMO) fire risk assessments at his property in Hertfordshire. This negligence led to a fire which destroyed two flats.