Stock destroyed in Peacocks clothing shop fire in Oswestry

Staff at a Peacocks fashion store in Oswestry have had to throw away hundreds of items of brand new clothing after a serious fire swept through the premises last Saturday (4th August).

The incident occurred in the middle at the night, with fire fighters estimating that the fire started at around 11pm on Saturday night. Fire alarms sounded, and store manager Wendy Ellis was called to the scene.

The cause of the fire is believed to be arson, as it was found that the contents of bins at the back of the Cross Street premises were set on fire. Although no one was injured in the fire, the store and its stock did sustain significant damage.

Thankful that fire alarms gave an early warning of the incident, Ms Ellis explains what happened, saying:

“The fire didn’t go onto the shop floor but 500 garments had to be destroyed because of smoke damage.

“If you think each garment has got to be about £10 to £15 each that is rather a lot of money.

“If the fire had got into the building who knows what could have happened. It is not worth thinking about it.”

Fire and asbestos close Fife primary school

Following a serious fire last week, a primary school in Fife has been forced to temporarily close after fire crews found asbestos in the walls of the building.

The fire started at Tulliallan Primary School last Monday30th August at around 2.40am, in an external wall cavity. Three fire engines rushed to the scene from Dunfermline, using four pumps, two hose reel jets, thermal imaging equipment and a special decontamination unit to tackle the fire.

The location of the fire meant it was difficult for firefighters – even those with specialist fire safety training for this kind of situation – to access it safely. Nevertheless, the fire was eventually extinguished.

The fire service have confirmed that although no classrooms sustained any significant damage during the incident, there was extensive smoke damage to some parts of the building.

Pupils at the school enjoyed a day off whilst fire crews were on the scene, but the discovery of asbestos within the building has meant that the school will be closed for at least a week whilst health and safety checks are carried out.
The senior education manager for Fife Council, James McKinstry, explained:

“As with most buildings of this age, the school does contain asbestos, which will require to be carefully managed in the clean-up operation.”

Horwich waste recycling plant targeted in third arson attack

A waste recycling plant in Horwich, Greater Manchester has been set alight in what police believe is the third arson attack on the premises in the last few years. The fire, which started at Armstrong’s Environmental Services in the early hours of Tuesday (31st August) morning, caused massive disruption in the local area and firefighters are reportedly still on the scene.

Bolton CID are now attributing the cause of the fire to arsonists, who they believe set hundreds of tonnes of plastic waste on fire in a storage warehouse between the hours of 11pm on Monday night and 2.15am Tuesday morning.

The fire spread rapidly, causing thick billowing smoke to issue from the building. It is not yet known whether the premises was fitted with fire alarms, or any other fire safety or prevention equipment.

Local roads were closed to allow the emergency services to access the Mansell Way facility, and more than 40 firefighters were on the scene at the height of the blaze. It is likely that the fire service will remain at the scene until the end of the week.

A spokesperson for Bolton CID has commented on the incident, saying:

“This fire is being treated as malicious and we are keen for anyone with information to get in touch.

“It has caused a lot of disruption locally and caused massive inconvenience for residents and the firm itself.”

Birmingham gas cylinder fire forces road closure

It has been reported that residents who lived within a short distance from a gas cylinder fire in Birmingham had to be evacuated from their homes on Tuesday afternoon.

All homes in the vicinity of Ken elm Road in Small Heath were emptied by the local council’s Birmingham Resilience Team (BRT) after a blaze broke out in a garden shed where a number of gas cylinders were stored. People who could not gain access to their homes took refuge at Sally Leisure Centre.

These precautionary measures were taken due to the threat of a gas explosion and so a cordon was erected around the scene, with the road closed to traffic. The fire was spotted at around 1:30pm and residents were still unable to go back to their properties until after 8:30pm.

A spokesman of the police said:

“The risk to residents due to gas cylinders which were unsafe following a fire has been reassessed by specially trained staff and the vast majority of people living in the area can now return to their normal daily lives.

“A small number of houses will need to remain evacuated for safety reasons.”

Fire investigators are working with West Midlands Police to determine the cause of the fire.

Fire breaks out in Kidderminster factory

Over 40 firefighters were called to an unoccupied industrial unit in Worcester on Wednesday morning following reports of smoke bellowing from the building.

Fire crews from Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue service with eight fire engines attended the scene at Hard Anodising on Firs Industrial Estate, off Oldington Lane just before 8am.

Those who witnessed the blaze saw thick smoke coming from the single level factory which was used for metal finishing.

Ian Bytheway, a worker at a nearby unit, said:

“We were told it would be for the best to stay outside of our building until the fire was out.

“It was a surprise to turn up to see the emergency services here and to see the smoke from the factory.”

The blaze was eventually brought under control as firefighters worked at it using an aerial ladder and platform.

Police had to shut a number of roads in the area, while environmental protection units were called for due to the fact the company utilised chemical processes.

There were no reported injuries following the fire, with nobody was in the building at the time, although firefighters and police had to remain on site as they investigated the cause of the blaze.