Historic Dunstable pub destroyed in arson attack
A thatched pub in Dunstable has been destroyed in a suspected arson attack.
The Norman King pub in Church Street, Dunstable started at around 00:15 on Thursday.
The thatched building was undergoing refurbishment and luckily was empty when the fire broke out.
Bedfordshire Police said the incident was being treated as arson.
30 people from a neighbouring hotel were evacuated due to the large amount of smoke. No one was injured in the incident.
Dave Fothergill from the fire service said: “The fire had spread very quickly by the time we got there, and the fire fighters had to work extremely hard to remove the burning thatch fro the roof to save the building, as well as neighbouring properties threatened by the severe fire. Having the two aerial platforms from Bedford and Luton fire stations proved to be invaluable. We were able to place them above opposite corners of the building and this gave us great coverage to tackle the fire, as well as the opportunity to see the extent of the fire spread, so that we could tackle the fire where it was most needed.”
An investigation into the cause of the fire will now be carried out.
Sony warehouse destroyed in blaze
Eleven fire engines and 55 firefighters attended a huge fire in a warehouse and offices on Solar Way in Enfield on Monday night. The building was home to Sony’s CD distribution centre and has been completely destroyed by the fire.
Around 170 people had to be evacuated from a nearby hotel. The hotel suffered severe smoke damage and has now had to close. Firefighters instructed residents to remain in their homes with windows and doors closed.
It is thought that the fire was started by the London looters and rioters.
Construction site goes up in flames
A fire broke out at a Salford construction site at around 1.30am on 4th August.
50 firefighters from the Greater Manchester area attended the scene on Ordsall’s Phoebe Street and used water jets, ground monitors and hydraulic platform vehicles to tackle the fire.
Over 30 neighbouring properties were evacuated.
The site was being used to build 79 new apartments and a Morrisons supermarket. It is thought that only the apartment side of the site was damaged in the fire.
It is not known what caused the fire but an investigation will now be carried out.
Footage of the blaze can be seen here.
Construction sites are dangerous places for numerous reasons. There are many portable electrical tools, oxy acetylene cylinders, combustible materials and numerous other types of equipment.
The fire risks associated with construction sites pose a significantly higher risk than normal office premises. In view of this, the Fire Training Academy has developed a course which specifically designed for Construction Sites.
The course is designed for relevant personnel to manage fire safety on construction sites in line with the ‘Joint Code of Practice’ Fire Prevention on Construction Sites.
The course includes the following:
- Application and scope of Fire Safety Legislation
- Fire Prevention on Construction Sites
- General Fire Precautions
- Human Behaviour in Fire and Smoke
- Fire Safety Duties
- Management of Fire Safety
- Site Fire Safety Co-ordinator
- Fire Safety Plan
- Emergency Procedures
- Managing Life Safety Systems
- Fire Hazards on Construction Sites
- Practical Exercises
- Practical Fire Extinguisher Training
Get in touch if you would like further information on this course.
Fire at Taunton Town Football Club
A fire at Taunton Town Football Club that broke out at around 12.30am on Tuesday is not being treated as suspicious.
Ten fire engines from Taunton, Bridgwater, Wiveliscombe, Tiverton, Burnham and Wellington attended the fire which severely damaged the members bar and the roof.
The club had recently undergone costly renovations.
Kevin Sturmey, club chairman and chief executive said: “So many people have worked so hard so this is upsetting for everyone involved. But when this kind of thing happens the important thing is that no one was in there and there are no injuries. When I got here flames were coming through the roof.”
The building has suffered around 30% damage from the fire and 80% of the structure has been affected by smoke.
The exact cause of the fire is currently unknown but an investigation is now being carried out to determine how the fire started.
Faulty BEKO appliance blamed for fire death
It is believed that a fire which killed a 36 year old man in Wealdstone last November was caused by a faulty fridge freezer.
Mr Santosh Benjamin-Muthiah died from a lack of oxygen to the brain after inhaling fumes in the blaze at his home in Grant Road on 11th November.
It is now believed the cause of the blaze was a model of Beko fridge freezer that has been recalled for being faulty. Beko had been informed by fire chiefs in June 2010 about the safety issue but the firm admitted that it did not inform retailers of the danger until eight months later.
Steve Turek from London Fire Brigade, said after the product recall that he was worried about fires involving this sort of fridge freezer: “They develop rapidly and produce an enormous amount of toxic smoke. Expert fire investigators have had to work for a long time to confidently establish these faulty fridge freezers as the cause of a number of serious fires. Having established this link, we have worked closely with BEKO to ensure the public is kept safe.”
A statement on the Beko website reads: “We deeply regret any incident involving any Beko product and we are working with all relevant organisations to rectify an identified problem with some of our fridge freezers. Quality, customer safety and satisfaction is paramount to Beko. All its products are independently tested before being placed on the market and meet all UK and European safety standards. The number of incidents to which these products have been potentially linked is extremely small, nevertheless, as a responsible manufacturer, we have decided to proactively contact the owners of these fridge freezers to make a free in-home modification to remove any potential risk with this component.”