Wheelie bin fires – “Could have grave consequences”
Fire crews were called to a fire in a Perthshire Village after several wheelie bins were set on fire at the rear of two houses.
The situation was under control within minutes using a hose to extinguish flames but police said that these kind of fires could have grave consequences.
A spokesperson for Tayside Police said: “We get reports of this sort of thing from time to time, but this is the first incident like this we’ve had in Bankfoot. Generally speaking, it’s wanton vandalism and creates unnecessary work for fire fighters but obviously it also has potentially dangerous consequences as someone could end up getting seriously hurt or worse.”
In 2011, police launched an investigation after torched wheelie bins sparked a blaze that almost destroyed a conservatory and left an elderly Perth resident traumatised.
Fortunately, the woman who was reading in bed, smelled smoke and raised the alarm in time.
“It must have been about midnight when I smelled something strange,” said the terrified OAP. I walked through the house thinking, ‘something’s not right’, and when I got to the conservatory, I saw a glow in the window. So I opened the blinds and got the shock of my life – my rubbish bins had been burnt to a cinder and the flames had caught hold of the conservatory itself. The firefighters told me that the whole house could have gone up, so what would have happened to me if I’d taken my sleeping pills that night? And when I have house guests, they sleep in the conservatory, so they could have been overcome with smoke and fumes. God knows what could have happened really.”
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Businesses evacuated after sub-station fire
Firefighters were called to a fire in Scunthorpe after a fire broke out in an electric sub-station.
The sub-station was damaged by the fire which led to businesses including the Blue Bell Inn, Industry and Matrix Club being without electricity.
The pub and club had to be evacuated just before midnight on Friday and the area was cordoned off by police.
Pete Baron, Spokesman for Humberside Fire and Rescue Service said: “Two crews were sent, but because it was a sub-station, we couldn’t tackle the blaze until Yorkshire Electric isolated the power. The first thing was boundary cooling and keeping everything in the surrounding area was protected. The nature of the fuel involved will have caused the fire to be quite big, It burns quite ferociously.”
Unmanned water jets set at a very high volume were used and the fire was eventually extinguished using three hose reel jets.
A spokesperson for Humberside Police said: “The public order officers were already at the scene and there was minimal risk to the public. Officers ensured no one was injured or at risk.”
Nicky Pound who witnessed the incident said: “We walked into the Blue Bell Inn just before midnight and a fire engine went past. Then at about 12.05am, everything in Frodingham Road just went black. The bouncers were saying ‘everybody out, as quickly as you can’. It was all cordoned off and there were plumes of black smoke. It was a bit scary as nobody knew what was going on, but the town centre emptied quite quietly.”
Many businesses and more than 300 homes were without power after the blaze but Yorkshire Electric Distribution Limited managed to restore power by late Saturday afternoon.
The cause of the fire is not known but foul play is not suspected.
Smoke alarms save family home
A family have had a lucky escape after a fire started in one of the children’s bedrooms.
The fire is believed to have started in 5 year old Conrad-Leigh Brydons and 4 year old Kori’s bedroom on Monday morning.
The family think that the fire started in an electrical socket after the boys television had been left on standby but an investigation by Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service will be carried out to find out exactly what happened.
The family, who were at a neighbour’s house when the fire started, were alerted by the smoke alarm.
Dave Adamson, a firefighter at Westlea Fire Station and community safety technician has offered this advice in the wake of the incident: “Following the house fire at Netherton Close, Park South on Monday, Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service would like to reiterate its home fire safety advice. This property was fitted with smoke detectors, and hearing these alerted the householder to the fire. Smoke alarms should be fitted to every level of the home, ideally in the middle of the room or on the hallway and landing. Smoke detectors should be checked regularly to ensure that they are working properly and never remove the batteries or disconnect the alarm. Any appliance that can be switched off should be we don’t advise to leave anything on standby. While there is power going to the unit there is always a risk of a fire. It is a bit extreme to turn everything off but those that can be turned off easily like a TV should be.”
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.