Thursday 31 May 2012

T in the Park not affected by Portable toilets fire near    29 May 2012

A fire in a field near the site of the T in the Park festival took hold of around 150 portable toilets at the weekend.
The blaze, which is understood to have caused accidentally, started on Sunday evening and around 25 firefighters were needed to bring it under control.
The toilets are understood to have been scrapped after last year’s festival and were in the process of being dismantled and recycled.
The fire happened at Gallowhill Farm, near Kinross and no one was injured according to Tayside Fire and Rescue Service.
I attended the BAFE SP205 launch in London last night. It was a well attended event with the "great & good" of Fire Saefty in attendance. (I do not include myself in that description however.)

The Scheme will be UKAS accredited and the aim is to ensure quality from Fire Safety Consultants and Companies. It will give assurance to Duty Holders that the Fire Risk Assessment for their premises has been carried out by persons who have had to show due diligence with knowledge, experience and skills comensurate to the task.
The accreditation process has started and the first Certificates will be issued on the 14th September 2012.
I hope the Fire Industry  and the general public can accept this as a step forward in ensuring quality in their particular field.
We wouldn't accept a Fire Alarm system be installed without ensuring the the installer is approved and Certified. Why should Fire Risk Assessors be any different.

Fire Isk Assessments & Taining Ltd look  forward to being the first in Scotland to be accredited and Certified.
Fire officers acquitted over Atherstone warehouse deaths 30 May 2012
Were these trials a waste of public money or were the H&S Executive correct to prosecute? My own feelings are that had these prosecutions been successful, firefighting as we know it would have ceased to exist. Hopefully OIC'c can now do their jobs without the fear of prosecution but always with thesafety of his crew/s in mind.
 
The two remaining defendants in the Atherstone-on-Stour manslaughter case have been acquitted of all charges.
Station manager Timothy Woodward and watch manger Adrian Ashley were found not guilty by a jury at Stafford Crown Court today.
A third defendant, watch manger Paul Simmons, was acquitted earlier in the trial at the direction of the judge.
The three fire officers had denied manslaughter by gross negligence.
Firefighters John Averis, Ashley Stephens, Darren Yates-Badley and Ian Reid died as a result of the 2007 blaze at a vegetable packing warehouse in Atherstone-on-Stour.
Graeme Smith, chief fire officer for Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service, criticised the decision to prosecute the officers. “I am very pleased that the case against our three incident commanders has so comprehensively collapsed. I expected nothing less. It is now clear that these cases should never have been brought to court. I am relieved that their ordeal is over but I also feel a sense of sorrow and remembrance for the four brave firefighters who died at Atherstone-on-Stour in 2007. We will now be seeking assurances from ministers that prosecutions like this never happen again.”

Mr Smith added: “There is clear evidence that the Atherstone fire was arson. The police clearly thought it was because in 2009 they arrested several people on suspicion of arson. And during this court hearing we have discovered that the independent report into the cause of the Atherstone fire also concluded that it was arson. So why have the arsonists not been apprehended? And why instead did three innocent fire officers find themselves in the dock of a British court?
“Something went badly wrong with this case. It’s time for some answers. I want some answers, the three incident commanders want some answers and the families of those who died deserve some answers too,” said Mr Smith.

President of the Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA), Lee Howell, said:
"CFOA believes that the court has made the right decision and this is the best possible outcome for our profession as a whole. We lost four brave firefighters almost five years ago in one tragic incident and our thoughts remain with the families and friends of our fallen colleagues.

“We remain keen to understand the rationale behind the decision to take this prosecution and we question the length of time it took to come to trial. Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service and CFOA will be writing to the government to seek a review on why this case came to court in the first place. We would also seek to understand why the real culprits, according to the cause of [the] fire investigation – the person or persons who intentionally set the fire in the first place – have not been apprehended."

Mr Howell continued: "The outcomes of this investigation now need to be shared with fire and rescue services across the country, because it is their officers who, every day, are required to manage the potential conflict between public expectation and firefighter safety.”
From Info4fire

Monday 28 May 2012

Bradford pub hit by fire

24 May 2012

Fire crews in Bradford were called to a local pub after a blaze broke out in an industrial oven earlier this week.

Two fire engines attended the incident at the Toby Carvery pub on Bradford Road, Keighley, at around 10.50am on Monday (21st March), reports the Keighley News.

Crew commander Darren Creighton revealed that the pub was evacuated by the time crews arrived at the scene.

"The fire was mostly out when we got there, so we just isolated the oven and made sure things were secure," he told the news provider.

The flames were confined to the oven and no other part of the pub was damaged by the fire.

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, a 'suitable and sufficient' fire risk assessment must be conducted on all commercial properties in England and Wales.

If the fire risk assessment is deemed to be carried out to an insufficient extent, the Responsible Person can face an unlimited fine or a prison sentence of up to two years.

Looks like their Fire Safety procedures were in place. Well done the Pub Staff for getting everyone out of the Pub. Not the easiest thing to do. But necessary, very necessary. (Who said that again?)
Fire at derelict Glasgow primary school 'started deliberately'


Police believe that a fire at derelict Glasgow primary school was started deliberately.

Fire crews were called to the former St Mark's Primary School, near Tollcross Park, at around 2.15pm on Tuesday (22nd May).

More than 30 firefighters attended the incident and managed to bring the blaze under control but could not prevent it from suffering irreparable damage. It is now due to be demolished as it is deemed unsafe.

Detective Sergeant Roland Craig said: "I am anxious to speak to anyone who was in the area around 2pm yesterday afternoon and saw anything suspicious.

"Three male youths were seen at the school around the time of the outbreak of fire and I would ask them to come forward in order that they can be eliminated from this investigation."

A 'suitable and sufficient' fire risk assessment must be conducted on all commercial properties in Scotland under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005.

If this fire risk assessment is judged to have not been carried out to a suitable extent, the Duty Holder for the establishment can face up to two years in prison or an unlimited fine.
Hamilton shops gutted in blaze

25 May 2012

Three shops in a Hamilton have been destroyed in a fire which police believe was started deliberately.

Fire crews were called to Mia's Indian Takeaway on New Street, Stonehouse, shortly after midnight on Wednesday (May 23rd) after a local business owner discovered the blaze and unsuccessfully tried to put it out, reports the Hamilton Advertiser.

The flames quickly spread to the nearby Scotbet Bookmakers, William McKenzie Hairdressers and two residential flats above the shops.

All of the affected buildings were gutted in the blaze, with other retailers also suffering smoke damage.

A man was taken to hospital after suffering the effects of smoke inhalation when alerting the residents of the flats to the incident.

A spokesman for Strathclyde Police revealed that the fire is being classed as "wilful fire-raising".

"Due to the severity of the fire and threat to life as well as significant loss of property value, the CID will be investigating," he told the news provider.

A 'suitable and sufficient' fire risk assessment must be conducted on all commercial properties in Scotland under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005.

If this fire risk assessment is judged to have not been carried out to a suitable extent, the Duty Holder for the establishment can face up to two years in prison or an unlimited fine
Fashion store owner fined for fire safety breaches

22 May 2012 . Thanks to Fire Industry Association


The owner of a Manchester fashion store has been fined for several fire safety breaches.

Appearing at Bury and Rochdale magistrates court on 17th May, Joel Lever, the owner of Mon Amie Studios in Prestwich, pleaded guilty to seven breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

It followed an inspection of the store in April 2011, which revealed that staff did not receive fire safety training, several exits were blocked with shutters or locked and fire extinguishers had not been tested.

Mr Lever was fined a total of £5,200 and ordered to pay costs of £3,178 for the offences.

Peter O'Reilly, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service's director of prevention and protection, claimed that the fire safety failings "could have proved fatal".

"Mr Lever was responsible for undertaking a fire risk assessment for his shop and failed to do so, putting staff and customers at great risk," he said.

"The locking of fire doors is totally unacceptable and common sense dictates that routes to and through fire exits should be kept clear."

£617m of fire damage caused by BBQ drunk. A timely reminder. BBQ & Drunks don't go!

Stay off the drink until you have finished cooking.
£617m of fire damage caused by BBQ drunk. A timely reminder. BBQ & Drunks don't go!

Many admit to being drunk in charge of a barbecue

26 May 2012

1.5 million homes have been damaged by fire after barbecuing drunk

A quarter of people in charge of a barbecue have been drunk while doing so and a staggering 1.5 million homes have been damaged as a result, according new research.

A report compiled by More Than Home Insurance raises concerns over safety as the risk rises with a hot summer and long bank holiday weekends ahead, when families are likely to host barbecue parties, fuelled by alcohol.

An overwhelming 80% of drunk barbecuing incidences were caused by men, with the average cost of damage being £383. Although women are less likely to cause such problems, the cost of damage tends to be higher, at around £525.

With sheds, gazebos and trees acting as prime kindle, garden fires can easily get out of hand. But as well as damage to property, the possibility of personal injury to those in charge of a barbecue or guest are greatly increased when drunk.

From Which Magazine.

Thursday 17 May 2012

Single Scottish fire service will be good for business, says FIA


 

Businesses in Scotland will benefit from the creation of a single fire service in the country, according to the Fire Industry Association ( FIA ).

From April 2013, the eight regional fire and rescue services in Scotland will be merged into a single body.

The move has been welcomed by Graham Ellicott, chief executive of the FIA , who expects that the creation of a single set of policies will deliver cost savings for those in the fire industry and local companies.

"One attendance policy for automatic fire alarms will mean that businesses can standardise the relevant fire training for their staff across all of Scotland," he said.

"In contrast, in England the disparate postcode lottery approach of the English brigades is imposing a real cost burden on business as each fire and rescue service has its own set of policies with little or no co-ordination even between geographically adjacent organisations."

Justice secretary Kenny MacAskill has estimated that the single service will deliver savings of £1.7 billion over 15 years.

English Fire Minister announces ruling on hotel bedroom door case

From @fireindustry
A follow on for previous post regarding this issue. It appears that FRA's are required to be undertaken until one agrees with the Fire Authority.

11 May 2012 Remember the links are for Legislation in England & Wales only.

Fire minister Bob Neil has called on the responsible person of a hotel to carry out a new fire risk assessment in order to resolve a dispute over how to improve fire safety standards.

The enforcing authority and responsible person at an unnamed hotel were at odds of whether to fit intumescent strips and smoke seals on 167 bedroom doors.

The dispute revolves around the requirement of article 9 of the Fire Safety Order, which calls for the responsible person to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks from fire and to record the measures which will be taken.

While the enforcing authority called for the installation of the strips and seals to help reduce risk of injury or death in a fire, the responsible person claimed that a new fire risk assessment will be sufficient as long as the lack of these measures was recorded.

Following advice from the chief fire and rescue adviser, Mr Neil determined that the most appropriate way to comply with article 9 is for the responsible person to prepare a new risk assessment and justify the absence of intumescent strips and smoke seals.

His ruling, based on article 36 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, claimed that the measures are unjustified due to their expense and minimal potential safety improvements.

Friday 11 May 2012

Common sense, logic and Fire Safety principles win the day over Benchmark Standards being used prescriptively.

A chance to download the Determination on the suitability and sufficiency of a fire risk assessment in a hotel in respect of the adequacy of the existing bedroom fire doors.





Lenovo recall computers due to fire risk

Lenovo recall computers due to fire risk 10 May 2012

Computer manufacturer Lenovo has recalled nearly 200,000 computers after a fire risk in the power source was identified.
The M70Z and M90Z all-in-one ThinkCentre PC’s sold between May 2010 and March 2012 were voluntarily recalled by Lenovo following reports of two incidents involving the computer.
One of the incidents resulted in a fire, while the other was only a smoke incident.

A recall was already made for 160,000 computers in March, but this has been expanded to 188,000.
In a statement on their website, the manufacturer said ‘Lenovo has determined that due to a failure of the power supply in the affected all-in-one PCs, the system can overheat and pose a fire hazard. Lenovo has received two customer reports of fire that resulted in damage to the PC.

‘Lenovo recommends that you should immediately stop using the affected desktop PC, and unplug the power cord. Only certain of the ThinkCentre M90z and M70z PCs sold in this timeframe are affected, and all of the affected systems can be identified by machine type and serial number.

‘Effective immediately, Lenovo is offering free power-supply replacements for all affected ThinkCentre M90z and ThinkCentre M70z all-in-one desktop PCs.’
Customers who might be affected by the recall are advised to visit www.lenovo.com/aiopsurecall.

From Info4Fire 10th May 2012

Thursday 10 May 2012

Single Scottish fire service will be good for business, says FIA

Single Scottish fire service will be good for business, says FIA


10 May 2012

Businesses in Scotland will benefit from the creation of a single fire service in the country, according to the Fire Industry Association ( FIA ).

From April 2013, the eight regional fire and rescue services in Scotland will be merged into a single body.

The move has been welcomed by Graham Ellicott, chief executive of the FIA , who expects that the creation of a single set of policies will deliver cost savings for those in the fire industry and local companies.

"One attendance policy for automatic fire alarms will mean that businesses can standardise the relevant fire training for their staff across all of Scotland," he said.

"In contrast, in England the disparate postcode lottery approach of the English brigades is imposing a real cost burden on business as each fire and rescue service has its own set of policies with little or no co-ordination even between geographically adjacent organisations."

Justice secretary Kenny MacAskill has estimated that the single service will deliver savings of £1.7 billion over 15 years.

Improving fire safety with effective Fire Escape Plans

Fire Escape Plans

If there is a fire in your workplace, would you know where the fire extinguishers are?

Can you locate the safest route to a fire exit quickly, and do you know where to meet your colleagues after exiting the building?

Whilst all companies should organise regular fire evacuation drills, these normally follow a calm, orderly exit of the building using the persons most familiar route into and out of the building. During a real fire, people in a burning building are likely to be under significant psychological and even physical stress.

A successful evacuation is partly dependent on physical values such as the means of escape and partly on psychological values, such as communication processes, understanding, evaluation and decision. A disorganised evacuation may result in confusion, increased evacuation times, injury and potentially loss of life.

To help reduce confusion in these situations, a properly designed fire escape plan should be drawn up and displayed in prominent locations around the building. This not only provides key information in time of an emergency, but also acts as an excellent pre event training aid, helping members of staff and visitors to become familiar with equipment locations and all available fire exits.

Whilst the concept of fire escape plan design is simple to understand, there are several key points that need to be included to ensure the success of any escape plan. These include:

You Are Here

An evacuation map must contain an accurate diagram of corridors, rooms, exits and the location of fire and evacuation equipment within the building. The readers's location must be clearly marked so employees can quickly know where they are in the building and easily identify the route to the closest fire exit or fire fighting equipment.

Secondary Exit Routes

An evacuation map must display one primary exit route and at least one alternate route. Wheelchair accessible exits can also be clearly marked on the floor plan.

Stairs and Elevators
Evacuation maps of multi-story buildings should indicate the location of stairwells and elevators. Stairwells that lead to fire exits should be clearly marked as such. However, evacuation routes should designate stairs as exits during an emergency, whereas elevators are clearly marked as not for use during an emergency.

Safe Refuge
Areas of safety for mobility impaired personnel and guests are becoming more common place, as are Evacuation Chairs. Employers are introducing safe areas, and evacuation equipment, but their location is not always well communicated. Clearly identifying these points on the escape plan will help to reduce the time taken to locate and reach safe refuge areas, and support your Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEP).

Assembly Area

An area away from the building should be designated for employees to meet after evacuating in order to account for all employees. The area should be large enough to accommodate all employees and should be clearly marked on the emergency evacuation map together with the assembly points location in relation to the building. Where practical, external references such as road names should be provided.

Ultimately, the ability to quickly identify the safest, quickest escape route is critical to ensuring safe egress from the building.



From Silver Bear.

Wednesday 9 May 2012


19 killed 1,200 people injured in workplace fires.

See bottom paragraph for Good news

Shocking figures show that during 2010-2011 19 people in the UK died in workplace fires, sparking St John Ambulance to call for businesses to wise up when it comes to fire safety.
Best known for providing first aid training, the charity offers fire marshal courses for businesses across Wiltshire and has set up an online calculator to enable employers to assess how many trained fire marshals they need on their premises to protect their staff and property.
Pam Harris, a Fire Marshal trainer for St John Ambulance, said: "At St John Ambulance we are all about preventing unnecessary deaths and while we regularly do this by equipping people with life saving first aid skills, we also want to guard against loss of life by educating people in how to avoid fires occurring.
"Nineteen deaths a year as a result of workplace fires is 19 too many and it’s sad to think that lives are being lost potentially due to a lack of planning."
"The average cost to a business that experiences a fire is £50,000, which alone is a terrifying thought, but there’s really no price you can put on a life.
"Our message to employers is that we’re here to help you assess your needs and train up your team to meet them."
Statistics taken from the Government’s communities website also show that in addition to the 19 fire related deaths in workplaces between 2010 and 2011, a further 1,200 people were injured as a result of fires at work, which is an increase of three per cent compared to 2008-2009.

The good news is that Fire Isk Assessments & Training Ltd will soon be able to offer on- line Fire Safety for Staff. This will help Employers with having less downtime for employees attending Courses.
Licences can be bought for as little as £12 + vat. Keep looking for imminent news on our website at: www.fireisk.co.uk


"Structural safety in high rise buildings’ Lem Kerks famous at last.

The Passive Fire Protection Federation (PFPF) has announced its support for a research project that aims to study ‘Structural safety in high rise buildings’. The project, awarded under the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust’s 2012 Travelling Fellowship scheme, will take researcher Lem Kerks to North America in September/October this year.

The project will concentrate on structural passive fire protection features, wind and earthquake design, and mitigation of explosion and blast incidents in high rise buildings. It will also investigate structural issues related to fire service work, including means of escape and fire fighting access and facilities in high rise buildings. This aspect of the project comes at a fortuitous time, since UK fire services are currently reviewing their methods and procedures for emergency incidents involving tall buildings.

Specific research interests include investigating: steel-framed building configurations, and the fire protection arrangements for the steelwork; the extent of protection provided in North America for externally-glazed curtain walling systems which may be subjected to blast waves; and general passive fire protection arrangements for building elements related to routes which form means of escape.

Mr Kerks has chosen six centres to visit in North America. These include New York, Chicago, Toronto, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Oklahoma, with the visit to each centre taking approximately one week. Mr Kerks also plans to visit a range of UK passive fire protection manufacturers prior to September.

“I am happy to include any research gathering related to this project which members of the PFPF request. I am particularly interested in expanding my contact base with passive fire protection manufacturers operating in the above North American cities. Any support that PFPF members can give in this regard would be much appreciated,” he said.

Mr Kerks has been involved with fire training for 25 years and is currently senior lecturer in fire safety studies at the Fire Service College in Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire. He has long been a supporter of the passive fire protection sector and worked with members of the Association of Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) and the College to develop passive fire protection exhibits in the building studies room at the College, some years ago. This facility, still used today, has been seen by most Fire Safety Officers from the UK who have undertaken studies there.

Each year, Travelling Fellowships are awarded to British citizens by the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, in memory of Sir Winston Churchill. Their aim is to bring back knowledge and experience from overseas travel for the benefit of UK professions and communities. Support of Mr Kerk’s application was jointly undertaken by the Fire Service College and the PFPF.

Pub staff say thank you with big cheque

From MK News.
The Swan Inn in Milton Keynes Village, which suffered a serious fire on December 7 last year, has presented £2,407.89 to The Fire Fighters Charity.
The money was raised at a ball held in February this year in honour of the firefighters who prevented the blaze from destroying the historic pub and restaurant.
The cheque was handed over on Friday to firefighters at nearby Broughton Fire Station, who were the first to arrive after the fire broke out, by manager Tyrone Bentham and assistant manager Matt Jackson.
At its peak, there were more than 40 firefighters and officers at the scene of the fire. Crews from Bletchley, Great Holm, Newport Pagnell, Buckingham, Aylesbury and Princes Risborough also attended.
All the customers and staff were able to leave the building safely after the fire broke out, and firefighters managed to prevent the fire from spreading to the single-storey restaurant extension.
Firefighter Richard Allman from Broughton Fire Station said: “We would like to say thank-you to the Swan Inn for arranging the ball and for being so generous.”
The Fire Fighters Charity is a national charity which provides assistance to serving and retired fire and rescue service staff, their families and dependants
Should stupid people be paid as much as they currently earn?

From Mirror Group:

Exclusive photo: Mario Balotelli's flame thrower stunt with aerosol can in hotel
Our incredible snap was taken in a luxury hotel suite which the Italian moved into after ­setting fire to his ­£3million rented ­mansion

Juvenile: Badboy Balotelli lights an aerosol can and turns it into a flame thrower
Wildman footballer Mario ­Balotelli turns an aerosol can into a flame-thrower... just months after his house was almost burned down by fireworks.
The Manchester City forward mugs for the camera as he sprays flammable deodorant on to a lighter.
Our incredible snap was taken in a luxury hotel suite which the Italian moved into after ­setting fire to his ­£3million rented ­mansion.
A spokesman for the Fire Industry Association said: “What he is doing is very stupid. The flame could travel back down into the can, causing it to explode.”
Balotelli, 21, hit the headlines in October when firefighters were called to his house. He escaped unharmed, but the fire caused £400,000 of damage.
Balotelli denied he had ­started it, but later admitted to club officials that he and his friends had been letting off rockets from an upstairs window at the Cheshire house.
He later posed with a firework safety poster, saying: “It was a ­really stupid thing to do. Someone could have been hurt.”
But our aerosol ­picture was taken just four months later in the Manchester Hilton.
Since moving to Man City last summer Balotelli has scored 19 goals, but has been sent off four times. He also wrote off a £120,000 Audi.
A source said: “Mario needs to think before he acts.”

Friday 4 May 2012

Remember that a Fiisk Assessment must be carried out by a Competent person under The Fire (Scotland) Act 2005

Halbeath's 19th-century Hotel Roma building gutted by fire

More than 20 firefighters from across Fife were drafted to tackle a huge blaze which broke out at an empty restaurant in Halbeath on Thursday night.
hotel_roma_fire_01
  • Published in the Courier : 04.05.12
  • Published online : 04.05.12 @ 08.39am
         
Hotel Roma was said to be ''well alight'' when two fire engines arrived on the scene at around 8pm, so another two engines were scrambled from Lochgelly before an aerial ladder platform was sent from Kirkcaldy.
Dozens of police were sent in to cordon off Main Street as crowds gathered to watch the drama unfold.
Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus trained four jets of water at the derelict building, but they were ordered not to go in after the structure was deemed unsafe.
Station manager at Dunfermline Dave Wishart, who was leading efforts to put out the flames, said: ''I knew right away we couldn't commit firefighters to enter the premises due to the state of the building so we've had to tackle the fire from the outside.

''There would have been a huge danger of firefighters falling through the floor if they'd gone in.''
The alarm was raised at 7.45pm by Armando Brandi, owner of the chip shop across the road. He saw smoke pouring from the windows of the building.
His son, Carmine, said: ''There was a lot of black smoke. You could see that it was a bad fire.''

Daniel Cross, who lives in the cottage next door to the building, arrived at the scene to find he had no access to his home.
''When I arrived back from work the road was closed. I could see the smoke coming from Hotel Roma.
''I was worried it would spread to my house but they won't let me anywhere near it to see what's happening. I don't know whether I'll get home tonight.''

Neighbour Linda Durret said: ''I thought it was the chip shop at first but when I came out it was obvious that there was a big fire at Hotel Roma.
''It's a shame really, because it's a listed building. It was built in 1891. It's really quite sad to see it burn down.''
An investtigation into the cause of the blaze is under way.

Remember that a Fiisk Assessment must be carried out by a Competent person under The Fire (Scotland) Act 2005

Thursday 3 May 2012

Border terrier Molly who survived serious fire allowed home from vets

STV
Molly: Terrier survived six hours in a burning building.
A border terrier who was trapped inside a burning building for six hours has been allowed home to its owner.
Molly was rescued by firefighters following a blaze at Dundee’s Garland Place last Wednesday.
She survived despite being stuck inside the blazing building.
Her owner Alan Thompson had tried to rescue her and his other border terrier Mac but they had both scampered as they were scared when his window was broken to allow him out and down a ladder.
He had tried to rescue the dogs but was hindered by thick smoke.
Mac did not survive the blaze.
Molly had been kept at Parkside Veterinary Group since the fire but has now been allowed home.
Mr Thompson said Molly was doing well and he was keeping an eye on her to make sure she does not do too much and get exhausted.
Fifteen people residents had to be taken out of the blaze and two people were taken to hospital. A firefighter was also injured in the incident.
At the time firefighters described it as “quite incredible” that Molly had survived.

Tough wee cookies are Border Terriers

Wednesday 2 May 2012

Cornwall seafront hotel destroyed in blaze

From FIA

01 May 2012

A seafront hotel in Cornwall has been destroyed by a severe fire which tore through the premises yesterday (30th April).
Around 30 guests had to be evacuated from the Falmouth Beach Hotel, at Gyllyngvase in Falmouth, after the alarm was raised at around 12pm.
Three of the guests are still unaccounted for but police claimed it is likely they are on day trips and did not come to any harm.
At the height of the blaze, more than 100 firefighters were battling the flames at the 120-bedroom hotel.
The crews were hampered in their efforts by strong winds which helped spread the flames from the third-floor of the building to the roof.
The fire was eventually brought under control at approximately 7pm, with crews remaining at the site throughout the night to dampen down hot spots.
Blur guitarist Graham Coxon was among the guests at the hotel, with the star scheduled to perform at the town's Princess Pavilion.

Family rescued from fire-hit East Sussex pub

From FIA

27 Apr 2012

A family had to be recued from the roof of a pub in East Sussex after a fire broke out in a tumble drier.

Three crews from East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service were called to the Royal Oak Inn, in Pett, near Hastings, at around 2.50am on Thursday morning (26th April).

Two adults and a child were asleep in the building at the time of incident and quickly headed to the roof after hearing the smoke alarm sounding.

A spokeswoman for East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service told The Argus: "It was only a small fire in the tumble drier but three people had to be rescued from the roof.

"There was a lot of smoke in the building below so they couldn't get down so they climbed onto the roof."

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, a 'suitable and sufficient' fire risk assessment must be conducted on all commercial properties in England and Wales. In Scotland the Legislation is The Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 where a writtenFire Risk Assessment is required when there are 5 or more employees.
If the fire risk assessment is deemed to be carried out to an insufficient extent, the Duty Holder can face an unlimited fine or a prison sentence of up to two years.

Fire safety standards could be included in proposed 'landlord charter'

From FIA

01 May 2012

Fire safety standards could be included in a proposed charter of requirements for landlords and tenants in the private rented housing sector, it has been announced.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Liberal Democrat Adrian Sanders, MP for Torbay, proposed creating a document which would include rules governing anti-social behaviour as well as legal fire safety standards.
In a question to communities minister Grant Shapps, he said: "One way of reducing the regulatory burden on landlords but also improving the safety and security for tenants, would be to provide a central, standardised document, containing all landlord and tenant responsibilities from fire safety to anti-social behaviour."
In reply, Mr Shapps confirmed he would consider the idea: "It sounds like it might be something comparative to a template lease and is something worth further consideration."
The document could finally make it compulsory for landlords to fit smoke alarms in their rental properties at the change of tenancy as proposed in the Fire Safety (Protection of Tenants) Bill, which is backed by Mr Sanders.
The move could help reduce the number of fire deaths, with figures from the UK Statistics Authority showing that a smoke alarm was not present in over a third of fire fatalities in 2008.

Crews tackle blaze at West Lothian scrapyard

From Fire Industry Association

02 May 2012

Fire crews have tackled a blaze which damaged around 60 cars at a scrapyard in West Lothian yesterday (1st May).
More than 50 firefighters were called to Campbells Auto Salvage in Armadale at around 8pm.
A total of 20 scrap vehicles caught alight and Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service estimated that a further 40 were affected.
A total of 54 officers were required to eventually extinguish the flames, including a crew from Central Scotland Fire and Rescue Service.
A 'suitable and sufficient' fire risk assessment must be conducted on all commercial properties in Scotland under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005.
If this fire risk assessment is judged to have not been carried out to a suitable extent, the Duty Holder for the establishment can face up to two years in prison or an unlimited fine.
No-one is reported to have been injured in the blaze.

Fire safety standards could be included in proposed 'landlord charter'

From Fire Industry Association

01 May 2012

Fire safety standards could be included in a proposed charter of requirements for landlords and tenants in the private rented housing sector, it has been announced.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Liberal Democrat Adrian Sanders, MP for Torbay, proposed creating a document which would include rules governing anti-social behaviour as well as legal fire safety standards.
In a question to communities minister Grant Shapps, he said: "One way of reducing the regulatory burden on landlords but also improving the safety and security for tenants, would be to provide a central, standardised document, containing all landlord and tenant responsibilities from fire safety to anti-social behaviour."
In reply, Mr Shapps confirmed he would consider the idea: "It sounds like it might be something comparative to a template lease and is something worth further consideration."
The document could finally make it compulsory for landlords to fit smoke alarms in their rental properties at the change of tenancy as proposed in the Fire Safety (Protection of Tenants) Bill, which is backed by Mr Sanders.
The move could help reduce the number of fire deaths, with figures from the UK Statistics Authority showing that a smoke alarm was not present in over a third of fire fatalities in 2008.