Fire Industry News for May 2023

Firefighters from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) worked overnight to bring the fire at the nursery building under control using six fire appliances and an aerial ladder platform. Describing the incident as a “large fire involving a commercial building,” the service also took to Twitter to advise residents to keep doors and windows closed as the fire was creating a “smoke plume.” After checking that any hotspots and remaining embers had been extinguished,...

The fire was believed to have begun in the evening and quickly spread across the top floors of the Leonardo building, which has been under renovation for the last 12 months. Located near the city’s Millenium Square, crews from the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) were joined by the police, an ambulance service, and a specialist team – Yorkshire’s Hazardous Area Response Team (HART). WYFRS later confirmed that a safety cordon was put in place, with surrounding bui...

Of the numerous failings noted by inspectors, it was discovered that “necessary actions” had not been completed following a fire risk assessment that was conducted in March 2022. This included personal emergency evacuation plans (PEEPS) either not being in place or not being kept up to date.  The CQC report also outlined that staffing levels at Lyndhurst Residential Care Home were not safe, which meant some residents did not “always receive timely support from staff.&rdqu...

As reported by the Southern Daily Echo on 10 October 2022, residents initially moved into their new-built homes in April 2019. However, in late 2021, issues relating to fire safety were discovered, with residents being told that remedial works would be needed to meet the latest standards and regulations. In October 2021, residents of the block were sent letters warning of issues with. In December of the same year, the fire policy was also changed to introduce a full evacuation in the...

The guidance from consumer charity Electrical Safety First comes after several energy suppliers have outlined their plans to run money-back schemes for their customers during the winter period. The opt-in schemes, which are geared for launch between November 2022 and March 2023, are being run by the National Grid, OVO, and Octopus Energy. They aim to reduce the amount of energy being consumed during peak hours by requesting customers to run certain appliances, such as washing machines and tumbl...

Covering the financial year between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022, the annual report covers numerous data – as listed by the Incident Recording System (IRS) – on fire incidents, including fire-related fatalities, non-fatal casualties, rescues, and evacuations; the extent of damage and spread of fire; the causes of dwelling fires and fire-related fatalities; temporal and seasonal fire analyses; and smoke alarm functions.   In summary, in the year ending March 2022, a total of 5...

As reported by the BBC, a total of 4,400 domestic flats will be checked for fire safety issues and risks. The announcement comes after the tragic fire at Twinnell House, Easton, where a 30-year-old man died, and eight others were hospitalized. Author's quote On 4 October 2022, Tom Renhard – the councilor for housing – addressed cabinet members by saying that the money would come from a £3.8 million underspend in the 2021/2022 housing revenue account: “Fire safety i...

The government has launched a professional indemnity insurance (PII) scheme to help EWS1 assessors carry out their assessments of high-rise buildings. PII scheme Launched on 26 September 2022, the government has created a new scheme that will enable qualified professionals to get the cover they need to conduct a fire risk appraisal on external wall systems (known as an EWS1 form) of mid- and high-rise buildings. Developed by the Department of Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities (DLUHC), th...

A UK council is facing a bill of almost £20 million after fire safety failings were discovered at a block of flats it owns. fire safety issues Mansfield District Council bought the apartment block in Clapham, London, for investment purposes in 2017, however, following an independent assessment of the building in 2018, a number of fire safety issues were found. The London Fire Brigade (LFB) also allegedly discovered several “undisclosed” failings with the building and issue...

Construction firm, O'Hare & McGovern (OHMG), has been unable to overturn a high court action for cladding and fire protection-related works at Obel Tower, the tallest residential building in Northern Ireland. A court order to fix “life-threatening defects” at Belfast’s Obel Tower remains in place as of 16 September 2022, after OHMG was unable to overturn the ruling. This is despite the firm’s lawyers arguing that the contractual obligation had been “invalidly t...

The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has issued an urgent warning about a potential safety weakness in a large number of building ventilation systems due to the incorrect installation of fire dampers. BESA said it was acting after annual inspections carried out by maintenance contractors found that “a huge number of dampers” had been incorrectly installed. Head of technical Graeme Fox said that many did not comply with manufacturers’ instructions and needed re...

The Department for Education (DfE) has been criticized for failing to outline "crucial" advice about fire safety in new school buildings across England. On 24 September 2022, a Schools Week exclusive highlighted growing concerns over the continued delay of the DfE in publishing its final report on fire safety advice for new schools in England. This is despite having already received feedback from its most recent consultation in 2021. Fire Safety Design for Schools  The consultation,...

The latest webinar from the FPA, which ran on 20 September 2022, welcomed the FPA's Senior Associate Trainer, Mike Floyd to share his expertise and guidance on fire door safety. At this event, he shared a few key extracts from the fire door module of the Understanding Fire Doors training course offered by the FPA. The webinar began with a brief introduction to the key areas of fire door setup, before moving on to points of concern and common alterations that can result in fire door performance...

The fire, which started on the 16th floor of Twinnell House, Easton, in the early hours of 25 September 2022, led to the evacuation of the entire building – 90 people in total. Eleven fire appliances were deployed to the block of flats along with two turntable ladders and other specialist vehicles, and firefighters were sent into the building to search and clear the flats. Author's quote Dave Hodges, Duty Group Commander for the Avon Fire and Rescue Service (AF&RS), said: “On...

Port Pirie residents may notice an increase in aircraft activity in the coming week as the SA Country Fire Service (CFS) conducts a range of aviation exercises as part of its annual preparations for the bushfire season. The CFS, along with contractors from Aerotech and Helifarm, will be conducting the exercises out of the Port Pirie Aerodrome from Sunday, 25 September to Friday, 30 September between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm. Residents within the Port Pirie and surrounding areas should not be alarmed...

Southwark Council has been criticized for failing to carry out adequate fire risk assessments in a block of flats despite being located next to another tower block where six people died in a blaze in 2009. The independent report, published in September 2022, found that unqualified contractors had been hired at Marie Curie House in Camberwell and that the council had allowed “inadequate” assessments to be carried out. independent Report findings  “There appears to be lim...

Just after 8:30 pm, CFS crews were alerted to a structure fire on Warren Road, Mount Crawford in the northern Mount Lofty Ranges. Five CFS crews from the surrounding areas supported by SAPOL arrived to find a fire in a standalone triple-car garage situated on the property. The residents and their dog were able to evacuate safely and there are no reported injuries. Damage incurred Due to the quick work of the CFS volunteers, the majority of the garage’s contents, including two vehicles a...

At 3:18 am in the morning, CFS crews were called to a structure fire on Upper Yorke Road, Kulpara on the northern end of the state’s Yorke Peninsula. CFS crews from four trucks, along with a bulk water carrier, arrived on the scene to find the house fully alight. Damage caused Thankfully the sole occupant was able to evacuate and was checked over by SAAS on the scene, however, there are no reported injuries. SAPOL is also on the scene assisting CFS crews. Damages are estimated at over...

The UK’s biggest housebuilder, Barratt, reported costs of £412m to deal with “legacy property costs associated with building safety-related remediation activities” that reduced its pre-tax profit by 20.9%. The amount set aside by the company has doubled from that originally announced when Barratt signed up to the pledge in April.  The company also set the timeline to complete the outstanding remediation and repair work at three-to-five years but admitted it did not...

The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) and the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association (Metro Chiefs) released a joint statement PDF warning firefighters that synthetic chemicals in their protective gear are associated with various health risks, including an increased risk of liver and kidney cancer. The chemicals responsible are a group of fluorinated compounds called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances commonly referred to as PFAS. They are used in firefighter turnout gear to incr...

The Building Safety Regulator has reported that the new, more stringent regime for higher-risk buildings is already affecting planning applications. Planning Gateway One (PGO) Planning Gateway One (PGO) was the first step in changing the regulatory framework for building safety in England, following the Grenfell Tower tragedy. In making the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) a statutory consultee for planning applications for high-rise residential buildings, it aims to ensure that planning app...

Reena James, 42, died in the incident at Redwood Grove on the morning of 4 July, which resulted in two other injuries, a firefighter being hospitalized for smoke inhalation, and the destruction of more than 20 flats and much of the building’s roof. Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service described the blaze as a “major incident” at the time, with six appliances, two water carriers, and an incident command unit deployed. Police believe that Ms. James forced her way into a n...

Greenwich Council in London is in breach of housing standards, including failing to remedy hundreds of high-risk fire safety defects and having more than 400 fire risk assessments of its housing stock outstanding. The council was also found by the Regulator of Social Housing to have more than 1,000 communal properties and over 10,000 domestic properties without a current electrical condition report, as well as failures of asbestos and water safety. Home Standard Breach The regulator concluded...

A new fire detection and alarm systems competition to enable apprentice engineers to boost their skills has been launched by the charity, WorldSkills UK. Program training  Run in partnership with Skills for Security, apprentice engineers will have the opportunity to undergo training ahead of the national final in November, with a chance to compete at the international ‘Skills Olympics’ in France in 2024. The program builds on WorldSkills UK’s electronic security systems...

The ongoing Fatal Accident Inquiry into the fire at Cameron House in December 2017, where two men died, has heard there was a “management failing” at the hotel. Simon Midgley, 32, and his partner, Richard Dyson, 38, from London, died as a result of the fire, and hotel company Cameron House Resort (Loch Lomond) Ltd was previously fined £500,000, after admitting to two charges of breaching the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005. Night porter Christopher O’Malley was also given a com...

Preparing for all fire exposures, not picking and choosing only one, is vital for improving the home and building survival chances. What the community needs to know Wildfires spread primarily by: Ember generation and deposition. Burning or smoldering pieces of material generated during a wildfire event can land on combustible material. Radiant heat. The heat from the fire raises the temperature of a combustible material until that material reaches ignition temperature and burns....

A development for three new blocks of flats near Totterdown, Bristol, United Kingdom (UK) has been approved despite serious fire safety concerns. Housing developers - Donard have been granted permission to construct 221 flats over three blocks between York Street and Mead Street, two of which will be 11 storeys tall. The third tower, however, has only one escape route, and is at the centre of calls for a design overhaul. Council planning officers The apartments form a part of the wider Mead S...

An estate agent in Dawlish has received the maximum allowed fine for breaches of fire safety regulations at a residential property. David Force, retired but formerly of Force and Sons estate agents, pleaded guilty to three charges at Newton Abbot Magistrates Court on Monday, 15 August. The breaches were found at Mr. Force’s property at 9 Queen Street and related to the flat above the commercial let on the ground floor. Lack of fire escape means  Business Safety Officers from Devon...

Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) was called upon to respond to a large blaze at Balmoral Drive, Borehamwood on Friday 12 August, where a shed fire had spread to the nearby block of flats. The three-storey block, owned by Clarion Housing Association, was evacuated of all residents as the fire impacted 21 flats, with 15 of them being destroyed. An emergency reception center was set up at a nearby leisure center where displaced residents received support with their accommodation needs,...

The child, now named as Sahara Salman, four years old, died after a terraced house collapsed as a result of the explosion. Three others are being treated in the hospital for their injuries. Merton Council has described the explosion as a "major incident." The gas explosion, which occurred in Thornton Heath, south London, happened at about 07:10 am on 8 August, damaging neighboring houses. Around 80 nearby homes were also evacuated, affecting around 100 people, who are being housed by the counci...