House destroyed in Worcester fire
Fire crews attended a fire at a house in Ramsons Close, Malvern Link on 23rd February after a neighbour noticed smoke and raised the alarm.
The call was received at around 2pm and the incident was attended by two fire engines from Malvern fire and extra support from crews from Worcester.
The upstairs of the property suffered major damage and the roof was completely destroyed. The property also suffered extensive smoke damage.
Station Commander Phil Major praised said: “Thankfully the woman and child escaped from their house uninjured, but the fire had taken hold and the roof of the property is now unsafe. There were wired smoke alarms in the property and we cannot stress enough the importance of having working smoke alarms on every level of your home.”
There were no injuries reported in the incident. An investigation into the cause of the fire will be carried out.
Somerset care home damaged by electrical fault fire
A care home for the elderly in Somerset has been damaged by a fire that broke out on 6th February.
Two fire engines attended the incident which started in a bedroom at the Sunnymeade Care Home at around 3.00pm.
A spokesperson for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said: “Smoke detectors were fitted and activated which alerted the Careline service who in turn contacted us.”
It is thought that the fire was caused by an electrical fault. No injuries were reported.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 states that you:
‘must make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to which relevant persons are exposed’
This means that all companies as a first point in their Fire Safety must complete a Fire Risk Assessment. This must be carried out by a competent person, who is trained to perform risk assessments.
Chemical drum fire at Cornwall boatyard
Five fire engines were called to a fire at a boatyard in Cornwall on the morning of 6th December.
The fire started in storage drums believed to contain phosphine which is used in the pharmaceutical industry.
Local residents were evacuated as a precautionary measure.
Nursery worker Helen Churchill was evacuated from the area: “We were a little bit confused because we had heard a couple of bits on the radio but we didn’t really know exactly what had happened. Then, literally within seconds, we had a knock and then the police officer was there. It just happened all of a sudden.”
Police officers also cordoned off the area around the boatyard in Islington Wharf.
A spokesman from the local council said: “The scene has now been left in the hands of the owners who will continue to monitor levels of phosphine throughout the day. The levels are now considered safe. Residents living on the houseboats within the boatyard will be able to return to their homes later today after fire officers have conducted a final check to confirm the drums pose no further threat to the public.”
Firework sets fire to thatched roof
A fire broke out at a house in Woodbastwick on 1st November after a firework hit the thatched roof.
Four fire engines from Wroxham, Sprowston, Carrow, Acle, Great Yarmouth attended the fire at around 6.40 pm.
Parts of the thatch were removed and hose reel jets were used to extinguish the flames. A thermal image camera checked the scene for hot spots.
There were no casualties reported in the incident.
Information from Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service on how to protect thatched properties from fire can be found here.
Arson at Somerset school
A fire that started in a school in Somerset while 1,242 pupils worked in their classrooms was started deliberately.
The fire was started at around 2.30pm on 14th July in the old school hall. It was attended by seven fire engines and several specialist support appliances from Avon Fire and Rescue Service and Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service.
Deputy headteacher Will Roberts said: “The expertise and professionalism of the fire brigade and police was very evident and the situation was handled by them with great skill. We have also thanked our students who remained very calm and patient. Although the fire is a setback, the good news is that nobody was injured, and the sports centre can return to a nearly normal service almost immediately.”
The fire was spotted by a member of staff before the fire alarms sounded and immediately alerted the emergency services.
The building has suffered extensive damage but no casualties were reported in the incident.