Firefighters issue warning after Dartford Heath fires
Fire crews are warning people to be careful following a number of bush fires on Dartford Heath.
There have already been 13 call-outs made to this area this year which is 11 more than the same time last year.
Phil Rice, Station manager in the Kent Fire and Rescue Service west group said: “When it is dry, warm and windy these fires can spread very quickly. You only need a bit of wind or breeze and you can get caught out. About six years ago, two firefighters got burnt on Dartford Heath when the wind changed and it blew back in their faces.”
Watch manager for Dartford Dave Read said: “These types of fires often need lots of resources and divert firefighters away from other incidents such as house fires or road crashes where lives may be in danger. There are a number of ways in which people can help us, such as discarding cigarettes and rubbish carefully. We’d also like to warn deliberate fire-setters that if they are caught, they face fines or several years in jail – possibly a life sentence if someone is killed as a result of their actions.”
Arson suspected at Lancashire industrial unit
Firefighters attended a large fire at an industrial unit in Elswick in Lancashire on the evening of 18th March.
Four crews arrived at the scene at around 6.34pm on Sunday and remained there until around 10.30pm.
The unit is in a residential area but no other properties were damaged in the fire and no casualties were reported.
Incident Commander, Geoff Etheridge said: “There were some propane cylinders and welding equipment inside. Firefighters worked hard to get this fire under control. There was minimal damage to the adjacent units. The firefighters did a good job to put a stop to it and stop it spreading further.”
It is not yet known what caused the fire but police have confirmed that arson is suspected. An investigation will now be carried out.
Hair straighteners cause fire in flat
Two women escaped from a fire which broke out in their flat in Ruxley Court on Tuesday morning.
The fire started when hair straighteners that had been left switched on, over heated and set fire to a pile of clothes.
Luckily the occupants were alerted by the smoke alarm and managed to get out of the flat quickly. They were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation. The fire damaged carpets and contents of the flat and the rest of the building suffered smoke damage.
Brian Griffiths from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “We urge people to make sure they have turned off all electrical appliances when they have finished using them and before leaving the house. Electrical items, such as hair straighteners, irons or heaters, should not be placed near to combustible items which are likely to overheat and catch fire. We would also advise people not to use such appliances when they are under the influence of alcohol as it is very easy to forget that they are switched on, or they may even fall asleep. Fortunately the property was fitted with a smoke alarm which alerted the occupants to the fire, giving them enough time to get out safely.”
Elderly woman escapes house fire thanks to smoke alarms
Firefighters are stressing the importance of having working smoke alarms at home after an elderly woman escaped from a fire at her home last week.
The fire is thought to have started when a spark from a log burner set a wicker basket alight.
Fire crews from Deeside, Mold and Ruthin were called to a fire near Llanarmon yn Ial in North Wales at around 12.15pm on Friday 9th March.
Andy Robb from North Wales Fire and Rescue Service said: “We were able to advise the occupier to make her way safely out of the property and she received treatment for mild smoke inhalation at the scene. The fire started in a wicker basket positioned near a log burner. A spark had ignited paper and logs in the basket. We would strongly advise against placing wicker items near a heat source – although they look decorative they can easily overheat or catch a spark and ignite. The combination of a working smoke alarm and a link to outside assistance undoubtedly saved this lady’s life and enabled us to arrive in time to prevent substantial damage to the property. The smoke alarms at the property had been fitted by staff from our fire and rescue service during a previous home safety check.”
Man saves child from bedroom fire after hearing smoke alarm
A man has risked his life to save a young child from a fire in a flat in Hull.
The fire started in a spare bedroom of a bottom floor flat at The Lawns in Sutton near Hull at around 4am on Saturday.
He tried to get the mother of the child to escape down the stairs but she was too frightened and would not leave. The man grabbed the child and ran from the property.
Humberside Fire and Rescue Service’s head of safety, Daryl Oprey, said: “It was a magnificent act of bravery to not think about himself but to run up the stairs and try to get the mother and child. He didn’t for one moment consider his own safety, but that of others. It was very selfless. His actions are not something we advocate, but you have to praise those who do carry out such heroic acts.”
22 firefighters attended the blaze, which destroyed two homes in the complex. Five people needed to be evacuated from the flat.
Mr Oprey also praised fire crews for safely rescuing the child’s mother from the top floor window.
Mr Oprey said: “There were flames coming out both sides of the building. The mother wouldn’t come down with the neighbour but ran to the room furthest away from the fire. We arrived and immediately put up a ladder and smashed the window to get her out as the flames were already climbing the stairwell. We also led two people out from the other flats. The main fire was put out quite quickly, but we had to spend a few hours dampening down. It was a stressful situation for the fire crews as there were people in danger. It was emotionally charged, but the firefighters are well trained to deal with this. We are very relieved there were no serious injuries or worse. A fire like this would not be survivable if the smoke detectors hadn’t gone off. Without this, the actions of the neighbour and the quick response but the crews, it could have been a different story.”
Both mother and child were taken to a local hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.
An investigation will be carried out into the cause of the fire.