Kent fire crews battle huge blaze
A fire which broke out in a building in Wildernesse Avenue in Kent could have been started deliberately.
The fire broke out last Wednesday and was attended by fire crews from Swanley, Thameside, Maidstone, Larkfield, Sevenoaks, Seal and Tonbridge.
Witness, Sue Marks said: “A woman who lives in this street smelled the smoke. The firefighters were in here for a long time. Our shop absolutely stinks of smoke and there’s ash all over the plants.”
Steve Whitehead, who runs a shop in the High Street, said: “We smelled something burning and were wondering what it was – my office manager Gemma Knight said it smelled like a barbecue. Then we noticed the smoke out the window and she realised what was going on, so she called the police – it was about 1.20pm.There was still smoke billowing out everywhere – I can’t believe how bad it was. It’s just lucky nobody got hurt, but it makes you wonder.”
A spokesperson for West Kent Police said: “The circumstances surrounding the cause of the fire are being investigated.”
Huge fire at Norfolk Heinz Factory
Over 90 firefighters tackled a huge inferno at a Norfolk factory last week.
The fire started at around 6pm on 6th May at the Heinz Frozen and Chilled Foods factory in Westwick and is thought to have started in an industrial fryer.
60 members of staff were evacuated and there were no casualties according to the Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service.
A large area around the factory was cordoned off. Thick black smoke billowed from the area but local residents were not asked to evacuate.
Mr Britzman from the fire service said: “Locals may be concerned about the smoke but there are no hazardous materials stored on the site. We would advise them however to keep their windows closed.”
Fire crews were unable to enter the area containing the fryer due to the risk of the building collapsing and had to spray the building with foam from the outside using the aerial ladders.
An investigation to confirm the cause of the fire will be carried out.
Luxury Sunseeker yacht goes up in flames
A huge fire broke out on a luxury 34 metre Sunseeker Yacht in Poole Quay last week.
Firefighters tackled the blaze for many hours but the £9m vessel was destroyed.
Chief Operating Officer of Sunseeker International, Stewart McIntrye said: “The insurers have already been notified, we did that during the night. A surveyor has been appointed. We will go through our standard procedures.”
Mike Cox from the fire service said that weather conditions at the time of the fire were helping them in their efforts as the wind was blowing the fumes and smoke away from the area.
A witness to the blaze said: “One of the party saw a flicker of flame out of the corner of his eye and we went outside to see what was happening. It all seemed to take hold very quickly and was very dramatic. It was extremely sad to see it all being destroyed. It was fairly quiet on the quay at that point but it soon drew quite a big crowd.”
The boat which can accommodate 10 guests and 5 crew members was due to be delivered to it’s Mexican buyer this week.
An investigation into the cause of the fire will be carried out but initial findings show that foul play is not suspected.
70 firefighters battle warehouse inferno
More than 70 firefighters from stations across West Yorkshire battled what is thought to be one of the biggest fires ever seen in Huddersfield.
The fire broke out at Oxfam’s Wastesaver site at around 6pm on Saturday and firefighters took 8 hours to get the fire under control but the Beck Road building was destroyed.
The company takes in old clothing donated from across the UK and recycles it. More than 70 people work at the site and there are fears that many will now lose their jobs.
A thick, black cloud of smoke could be seen above the town for miles. Police were forced to close many of the roads in the area which caused chaos for residents and traffic. Locals were advised to stay in their homes with windows and doors closed.
Gareth Franks who is the store manager at a nearby shop said: “some of the staff were in our warehouse when there was an enormous bang. The whole building shook and the doors buckled as if something had hit them. Fire and police officers came over and asked us to evacuate, so we got the shoppers and staff out”.
The fire is thought to have been started by gas cylinders that are used in forklift trucks.
2nd fire at North Sheilds recycling centre
A serious fire broke out at a recycling centre in North Shields last week. It is the second fire at the site in 5 weeks.
The fire broke out at around 2pm at the North Tyneside Council waste transfer station and was attended by 8 fire engines and over 30 firefighters. Crews from Wallsend, Byker, Gosforth, Low Fell, Hebburn, West Denton, Rye Hill and North Shields community fire stations, all attended the scene.
A nearby road had to be closed as smoke drifted from the roof of the building towards the Tyne Tunnel as firefighters battled the blaze.
Chris Rooney who was travelling home at the time of the fire said: “We were driving along the A19 and the fire was already blowing smoke onto the road. By the time we got to the roundabout by the plant all the fire crews were already set up.”
An investigation into the cause of the fire is being carried out.