Campagin for sprinklers after Penhallow Hotel fire
The family of relatives killed in Newquay’s Penhallow Hotel fire are campaigning for sprinklers to be fitted in all new buildings.
Mr John Hughes, who lost his mother and brother in the fire in 2007, is leading the campaign. He believes that if the Penhallow Hotel had had sprinklers, lives would not have been lost.
Wales is currently thought to be the first country in the world to make it a legal requirement for all new homes to be fitted with sprinklers and Mr Hughes hopes that this can be made a standard across the UK
Fire fighters described the fire at the hotel as the worst British hotel fire in the last 40 years. 90 people escaped from the burning building and 3 people lost their lives.
In March of 2011, the owners of the hotel admitted two charges relating to fire safety breaches.
Huge fire destroys Corby pharmaceutical warehouse
A fire has destroyed the Catalant pharmaceutical warehouse in Corby.
The fire which broke out on 25th March destroyed much of the building and firefighters have said that the damage could have been significantly reduced if sprinkler systems had been installed.
Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service group manager, Baz Fox said: “Last week’s factory fire in Corby is a perfect example of how fire can occur at any time and how serious it can become. Tackling a fire at its earliest stages is vital for protecting a building, a company’s assets and the welfare of the people who work there. Sprinklers can begin suppression within moments, extinguishing, or at the very least preventing fire from becoming widespread. Had there been sprinklers installed, it is unlikely that the building would have become fully alight, requiring 100 firefighters to extinguish it.”
Representatives from the company have flown over from the USA to survey the extent of the damage.
An investigation will be carried out to determine the cause of the fire.
Welsh homes all set for new fire sprinkler systems
The Welsh Assembly are expected to pass a measure later this year which would see all new properties in Wales installed with automatic sprinkler systems for fire safety.
The measure is under consideration for Welsh law and would include care homes and university residencies as well as new-build houses in the country.
Vale of Clwyd AM Ann Jones, who put forward this new proposal and is now looking for support, said:
“After three years of campaigning and scrutiny we have seen a compelling moral and technical case for this life-saving device which has been working for decades in, amongst other places, cities in the USA and Canada.
“With sprinklers fitted, new homes in Wales will be amongst the safest in the world and that will go for new care homes and university accommodation too.
“Over 100 people have died in house fires in Wales since 2004 and we now know that sprinklers could have saved many of these lives.”
The three fire and rescue services in Wales have backed the new measure, which has also received encouragement from the Fire Brigades Union, the National Fire Sprinkler Network and the Chief Fire Officers Association (UK).
Despite the general consensus, there have been a number of questions raised through the consultation process, with the National House Building Council (NHBC) remaining neutral on its position.
Fire protection system upgrade to Channel Tunnel
It has been reported that the Channel Tunnel is all set to get a major fire safety enhancement within the next year, with one fire protection sprinkler having already been installed.
The fire protection system, which has been developed to use water mist, will cost Eurotunnel £20 million in total.
This new development was given the green light following a huge freight train fire not far from the French coast which occurred back in September 2008.
The sprinklers have been made to cut off the oxygen supply to the fire and thus stop it from spreading any further.
One safe fire extinguishing area has already been installed, with the other three sprinklers due to be put in place inside the Channel Tunnel by the end of 2011.
Jacques Gounon, Chairman of Eurotunnel, has confirmed that the fire protection system has been adapted towards the conditions of a working railway tunnel.
This new equipment will ensure that the Channel Tunnel is in a better position to deal with any fire-related incidents in the future.
If you are the owner of a business and you are unsure that your premises are properly equipped to tackle a fire, then you should consider calling in the professionals to conduct a fire risk assessment on your behalf.
Car park fire sparks call for sprinkler systems to be legal requirement
A fire in an underground car park in the Dutch City of Haarlem broke out causing serious structural damage to the building and destroying 26 vehicles. Neighbouring buildings were evacuated as the fire and smoke spread.
The fire service tackled the blaze, eventually taking control of the flames by flooding the lower deck of the car park.
Members of the Dutch parliament are currently calling for a change in the law which would mean that car parks and other public buildings would be required to fit sprinkler systems.