Huge fire at Blackpool nightclub
Firefighters from Preston, Lancashire were drafted in to help tackle a large scale fire at a nightclub on the Fylde coast.
The crew of five travelled to Blackpool with their fire engine while crews from the resort tackled the fire at the Trades club in Chadwick Street which started at around 4am on 31st October.
Local residents were forced to evacuated and spend the night in emergency accommodation.
A spokesman for the fire service said: “Unfortunately a lot of the evidence on how the fire started has been destroyed in the demolition of the first floor to make the building safe for residents. However, police are looking at CCTV and talking to people in the area to find out how it started.”
An investigation is now underway but initial thoughts are that the fire may have been started deliberately.
Fire Brigade Union says new CARP engines are ‘unsafe and unreliable’
Concerns have been raised about the safety of the new Combined Aerial Rescue Pumps used by South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Services.
The vehicles which cost around £2m have been condemned as ‘unsafe and unreliable’ according to the Fire Brigades Union in South Yorkshire.
Mr Gilliver from the Fire Brigade Union (FBU) said: “They’re constantly being repaired and a fire on an appliance had to be extinguished by crews. They’re appalling, they’re an absolute joke. We’re concerned for the safety of the crews going out on these vehicles. Management are saying these are teething problems, that’s simply not true. I’m an appliance driver with years of experience and yes, we’ve had teething problems before, but never to this level. One day I’m sure someone will be killed. They should come off the road, enough is enough, we need to get to the bottom of what’s going on with these vehicles. We are determined to rectify these issues.”
A spokesperson for the fire service said: “We have experienced a number of operational issues with our CARP appliances since they first became available in April. We are currently investigating three incidents which occurred in the past week. Our investigations into the issues reported since April show that some have been mechanical faults and some were due to operator error. Like the FBU, we are concerned about these issues and are working tirelessly to address them to keep the CARPs available as often as possible. The public of South Yorkshire are safer as a result of the CARPs being available since we have four in the service, compared to the three aerial platforms. CARPs are also immediately available upon first arrival at an incident, unlike the aerial platforms, and provide £1m per year in savings. We are determined to rectify these issues to ensure their ongoing availability to keep the public safe.”
Discussions into the fate of the appliances continues.
South Wales recycling project sends 11 engines to Serbia
Firefighters from South Wales are preparing to send 11 fire appliances to Serbia under a recycling initiative.
More than 50 firemen and firewomen will make the 1,500 mile journey through France, Germany and Hungary. The crews will deliver the engines to the Serbian fire service.
The project is an initiative by South Wales Fire and Rescue Authority which earlier this year agreed a three year rolling programme to ‘recycle’ old fire appliances rather than scrap them when they receive new stock.
Steve Logan, station commander at Caerphilly Fire Station said: “The fire engines that stand to be disposed of are at the end of their working life under British standards. But in developing countries like Serbia, what we consider end of working life, I think they consider is their infancy. Because we have this natural disposal programme, in my opinion, it’s criminal to scrap those vehicles and not be able to give them a new lease of life.”
Each firefighter is personally funding their own travel expenses. £2,500 is needed to transport each fire appliance and firefighters are working hard at getting as much sponsorship as possible to fund the move.
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.