Gas explosion kills pensioner
Mr George Titterton died after a gas explosion at his house in Sheen in February this year. His body was found under rubble and debris by a police dog on the third day of the search.
An investigation into the cause of the fire has concluded that the most likely cause was the leaking of propane from two gas cylinders in the kitchen. Fire investigation officer Mark McCabe said ‘The gas migrated from the kitchen and mixed with the open fire’. It is likely that Mr Titterton was trying to change the cylinder when the explosion occurred.
PC Andrew Platt who was at the scene of the fire said “The front of the building had blown out on to the road. The whole of the inside of the building had collapsed.” The fire investigation took five days to carry out due to safety concerns. Most of the building had collapsed making it difficult to access.
Friends described Mr Titterton as an independent man who would always try jobs himself before asking people for help.
Newtown factory fire to be investigated
A probe has now begun into what happened to cause a Birmingham factory to set alight, with the situation made even more precarious due to the presence of dangerous gas cylinders.
Around 60 firefighters were sent to tackle the blaze at Quality Lighting Design, in Bridge Street West, Newtown, last Monday morning, just before 6am.
Part of the industrial unit had partially collapsed and the fire crews suspected there were three acetylene cylinders located in this section of the factory, so water was used to ensure they didn’t explode.
A spokesman for West Midlands Fire Service, Bill Gough, said:
“The hazard with acetylene is once heated it continues to generate heat internally so we have to treat them with the greatest respect because they can fail with explosive results.”
A joint investigation has now been launched between police officers and fire personnel to find out what started the fire at the building, which is not far from Birmingham city centre.
The owner of the business, Guy Shaw, explained how he expected to continue working despite this incident. He said:
“We are a very strong business, we have being going for 22 years now and I am certainly not going to let something like this, bad though it is, put us out of business.”
There were no injuries following the blaze but a number of roads were cordoned off due to the threat posed by the gas cylinders.
Gas explosion destroys homes in Salford
A huge operation is underway by the emergency services after a gas fire tore through a row of houses in Greater Manchester.
Up to five homes have been affected by the blast which happened just after 7am on Tuesday morning in Merlin Road.
One home has been brought to the ground with a number of others in the Irlam district of Salford being badly damaged in the incident.
It is thought that around 10 people have been injured in the explosion where search and rescue teams are still looking for any people trapped below the rubble. Those requiring treatment have been taken to either Wythenshawe Hospital or Hope Hospital, with some being in a serious condition.
Tony Lander from Greater Manchester Fire Service, speaking to Sky News, said:
“We have a dog sniffing away to see if they can find any further casualties.
“What we will also be doing now is paring back the debris where we can and put in devices down into the holes and crevices to see if we can hear anybody.
“We still have gas leaking around the property, so it is still a hazardous situation.”
A number of roads in the area have been cordoned off by police, while the gas board is working to ensure the supply of gas to Merlin Road is turned off.
Warwick residents startled by factory fire
It has been revealed that a factory blaze which engulfed the premises of shop fitting contractors caused flames and loud bangs that were witnessed for miles around.
The fire was started at Precision Exhibitions in Nelson Lane around 6am when locals were woken by sounds of explosions from gas canisters which were similar to fireworks, with smoke rising high above the county town.
Firefighters from Atherstone, Henley-in-Arden, Nuneaton, Southam and Stratford were quick onto the scene and it took the rest of the morning to extinguish the flames and ensure that the area was made safe.
Cordons were put in place with a number of roads in the area closed while the fire crews damped down the blaze. Residents were also advised to keep their doors and windows closed due to the smoke.
Incident commander Ken Probin said:
“Unfortunately the severity of the fire has destroyed most of the building which was used by an engineering company.
“The cause of the fire is not yet known and once the area is clear, the scene will be examined by the fire investigation team.”
It has been confirmed that a fire service probe has now started into the exact cause of the fire.
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.