Four children and a woman have been taken to hospital after a fire in a flat.
Three boys, aged six, four and three, a ten-year-old girl and a 30-year-old woman were taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for precautionary checks, a spokeswoman for Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue said.
Firefighters were called to the incident in Parkhead Drive, Edinburgh, around 5.30pm on Thursday. The spokeswoman said the fire started in a bedroom and the building was filled with smoke.
From: STV
Two men treated in hospital after fire causes explosion at house
Two men have been taken to hospital after a fire caused an explosion at a house.
Firefighters were alerted by neighbours and passers-by who saw bedroom windows in the property in Longstone Road, Edinburgh, being blown out by an explosion at around 8pm on Wednesday.
A spokeswoman for Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue said a 25-year-old man managed to escape the house but was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for treatment to "severe" burns.
A 60-year-old man was rescued by two passing police officers and was also taken to hospital for precautionary checks.
A woman was also led out of the house but did not require medical attention.
Four firefighters extinguished the blaze and damage was restricted to one bedroom in the building, the spokeswoman said.
An investigation into the cause of the fire will start once the property is safe.
From : STV
Island seaweed factory 'completely destroyed' by early morning blaze
Fire: Crews battled the early morning blaze.
A seaweed factory has been “destroyed” in an early morning blaze.
Firefighters were called to Bod Ayre Products seaweed processing factory in the Hannavoye area at around 2.25am on Thursday.
Four fire engines from Brae, Bixter and Scalloway helped tackled the fire.
More than 20 firefighters used 16 sets of breathing apparatus and three jet hoses to kill the flames.
A spokesman for the Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service said: “Unfortunately the building was completely destroyed.”
Fire crews left the scene shortly after 6.15am and an investigation into the cause is ongoing.
From FBU Scotland
40% Glasgow homes deemed to be a high fire risk.
MORE than one in three Glasgow homes are at a high risk of fire.
Firefighter Ross Henderson in the living room that had no sprinkler system or smoke detector fitted
Custom byline text:
By CATRIONA STEWART
Fire safety experts visited almost 6000 properties across the city in the past year – and close to 40% were deemed potentially dangerous.
Firefighters found everything from stacks of newspapers blocking doors to people smoking in bed.
Watch Commander Kevin Rennie, who works in community safety for Strathclyde Fire & Rescue, said: "We have visited 5700 homes and nearly 40% of those were deemed high-risk.
"We are working to tackle these homes as they present a danger, not only to the householder, but also to any neighbouring properties."
Fire bosses in Glasgow carry out free home fire safety visits in a bid to reduce accidental fires.
During the past five years, house fires in Glasgow have dropped by 13% from 990 in 2001/02 to 866 in 2011/12.
Last year there were 191 casualties as a result of these fires – giving an average rate of one injury in four fires.
This is a figure fire chiefs hope to dramatically reduce by visiting as many homes as possible to advise and support householders.
Mr Rennie added: "We are doing well but there's still a lot to be done. One in four accidental dwelling fires is going to have a casualty –that's still too many.
"But these fires are reducing in number and we aim to continue to reduce them year on year.
"Everybody's aim would be to get fire and casualty numbers down to zero, but the biggest success we can hope for is to reduce them as much as possible.
"We want to keep people as safe as possible and get the community safety message through."
High-risk homes are those in which people drink heavily, smoke, cook late at night or are extremely cluttered – what firefighters call "high fire loading".
Officers assess what they can do to make properties safer. In homes where the householder is a smoker they can offer fire-retardant bedding and tell smokers of the dangers of smoking in a bedroom. They can also provide metal bins containing sand for people who drop ash and cigarette butts on sofas or carpets.
If a resident is thought to need extra support, firefighters can get social workers involved or contact local councils or housing associations.
Officers also fit smoke alarms. Last year these were fitted during 60% of home visits, as many at-risk householders did not have them.
The latest figures from Strathclyde Fire & Rescue show there were no working smoke alarms in 20% of accidental house fires. In some cases a smoke alarm was present, but no longer worked, had had the battery removed, or there were not enough smoke alarms.
Mr Rennie said: "A working smoke alarm can give an extra two or three seconds for someone to get out of their house and call us.
"This may not seem like very much but literally every second counts in a fire and can make a difference between life and death.
"A working smoke alarm really does save lives."
As part of the campaign to reduce house fires, bosses want residents to take advantage of free home fire safety checks.
Fire officers will come out to a property, assess whether new smoke or heat alarms are required and work with householders to make their homes safer.
Mr Rennie added: "Fire devastates whole families, can lead to a lifetime of pain, physical and mental scars, and destroy your home.
"We also see people without insurance who lose everything and have to start from scratch again.
"Compare that to a home fire safety visit, which takes about 20 minutes and is free."
The weekly check that could save your life.
* Working smoke alarms really do save lives and could make the difference between life and death .
* Once you have a smoke alarm, check it regularly, at least once a week, to ensure it is working.
* A home fire safety visit can be arranged by contacting your local fire station, calling the free phone number 0800 0731 999 or texting, 'Check' to 61611.
Firefighters had to respond to a fire at one of their own fire stations last week.
Crews were called to the part-time fire station in Limavady, Londonderry at 8.50 am on Wednesday 22 August after a smoke alarm alerted a local retained firefighter. Crews quickly dealt with the fire in a drying room/store area by 9.50am.
Although there was also some damage to a lecture room, the fire station was able to resume normal service.
In a statement, Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service said:
“We want to use this incident to emphasise that fire can happen to anyone at anytime in any building. Fire doesn’t discriminate and it shows the importance of thinking fire safety first, working smoke alarms and the swift actions of our local fire crews in protecting our whole community from the dangers of fire.”
From info4fire.co.uk
Coroner calls for hard-wired smoke alarms in all rental properties
Landlords be aware.
23 Aug 2012
A coroner has called on the government to change the law on smoke alarms and force private landlords to install hard-wired devices in all rental accommodation.
Penelope Schofield, coroner for West Sussex, said too many elderly and vulnerable people are dying in house fires in rented homes without working smoke alarms.
Speaking to the BBC she cited three cases in her county in the last two years. The victims were aged 64, 65 and 87 and were all living in private rented accommodation.
She said none of them had batteries in their smoke alarms, and pointed out that elderly people often forget to replace them or do not realise the batteries are dead.
Making it a legal requirement for landlords to install hard-wired smoke alarms that are connected to the mains could save countless lives, she insisted.
It is not the first time such calls have been made. In 2010 Liberal Democrat MP Adrian Sanders introduced a private members bill requiring all rented properties to have hard-wired smoke detection and warning systems in place at the beginning of a tenancy agreement.
But it failed to complete its passage through parliament and as such was thrown out, with ministers claiming it would add to the burden of regulation already on landlords.
Commenting on these latest calls, Graham Ellicott, chief executive of the Fire Industry Association, said: "The government had the opportunity to do something about this via Adrian Sanders' proposed Fire Safety (Protection of Tenants) Bill but chose not to and meanwhile people are still dying unnecessarily.
"It's time for them to take a lead on this matter rather than hiding behind the extra regulation excuse that is trotted out whenever there's a decision that needs taking."
From: @Fireindustry
Expert calls for new fire safety regulations for recycling plants
24 Aug 2012
Following a number of fires at recycling plants across the UK, including a major blaze in London on August 12th, an industry expert is calling on the government to introduce new fire safety regulations for these buildings.
Speaking to New Civil Engineer, independent fire consultant Fathi Tarada said recycling plants should be forced to introduce fire suppression systems, even if they only have one storey and are less than 18 metres tall - the point at which fire suppression becomes mandatory under current legislation.
He said that since most recycling facilities are only on one level, they are not obliged to install these systems, and many see it as a costly project that would be of little benefit to them.
But, he claimed, there are other factors that should be taken into account, insisting it is time that the regulations were re-examined in light of recent incidents.
"The cost to society of inhalation of toxic fumes, evacuation of nearby premises, the cost of fire service attendance, the risk to fire fighters and the down-time associated with facilities being out of service for a long time following a fire are not factored into such cost/benefit consideration," Mr Tarada remarked.
Examples of fire suppression systems are sprinklers, gaseous agents and wet and dry chemical agents.
From @Fireindustry
Fire damage forces DERL to shed 20 incinerator jobs
Half of the 40 workers at the Dundee incinerator are set to lose their jobs because the waste-to-energy plant will be out of action for more than a year after a blaze in May.
The conveyer belt collapsed during May's fire.
However, its operators say they are determined to make repairs and are also seeking up to £30 million to upgrade it and keep it going for another two decades.
The Baldovie complex handles thousands of tonnes of the city's rubbish but has been non-operational since a fire in its fuel store.
It was the latest in a series of setbacks, including several accidental fires, mechanical problems and a troubled financial history that has seen Dundee Energy Recycling Ltd rack up huge losses — £5.6 million last year alone.
The company insists that it sees a secure future for the incinerator, provided it can find the money it needs to pay for the planned improvements.
That investment will, however, come too late to save the jobs of around 20 workers.
DERL said that with the plant set to remain on a care-and-maintenance basis until late next year at the earliest, it had begun a 30-day consultation with staff.
A spokesman said: ''We deeply regret having to resort to the redundancy process, especially given our staff's skills and their commitment to the success of the company, but our current staffing arrangements are unsustainable while the plant remains non-operational.
''However, our vision goes beyond reinstating the fuel store, to encompass a significantly upgraded plant that is equipped to meet the residual waste management needs of Dundee and beyond over the next two decades.
''We aim to create sustainable jobs again in an improved and extended facility in the longer term.''
The spokesman said that work on plans for the life extension had started well before the fire in May, which forced a halt to waste processing operations pending an insurance settlement and reinstatement work.
From: Dundee Courier.
Pub catches fire twice on the same night
Once can be an accident. Twice is carelessness.
29 Aug 2012
Firefighters were called out to the same pub twice in one night on Tuesday August 28th following two separate blazes at the property.
According to the East London and West Essex Guardian Series, the first fire at the Spotted Dog in Epping broke out at around 6.40pm.
Crews arrived on the scene and managed to extinguish the flames in just 40 minutes.
However, they were called back again in much larger numbers around two hours later when a second, more serious blaze was reported. This time it took five hours to put out the fire.
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, (The Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 in Scotland, a fire risk assessment must be conducted on all commercial properties, including pubs.
If the assessment is deemed not to be 'suitable and sufficient' the Responsible Person (Duty Holder) in Scotland, can face up to two years in prison or an unlimited fine.
A joint investigation has now been launched between the London Fire Brigade and Essex Police to determine the cause of both incidents.
Tuesday 28 August 2012
Quick thinking mum and dad get children out of their burning house as smoke alarm saves the day
A MUM and dad acted quickly to get their children out of their smokelogged house after their washing machine caught fire in the early hours of the morning.
They woke their children up and got them outside before calling the fire service, who used a hose reel and a covering jet to extinguish the blaze.
“When crews arrived the house was heavily smoke logged with a rapidly developing fire in the kitchen,” station commander Bruce Parcell said.
“The fire was contained to the kitchen thanks to all doors and windows being closed.
“The quick thinking of the householders, as well as a working smoke alarm, saved any injury or further damage to the property.
“The smoke alarm woke up the parents who quickly got their children up and outside before calling the fire service.”
Crews from Kimbolton and Huntingdon later ventilated the property and returned to their base by 7am.
Villagers evacuate as river bursts its banks
VILLAGERS were forced to evacuate their homes after a river burst its banks and caused major flooding in the wake of torrential rain.
Some homes in Comrie, Perthshire, were left under three feet of water last night and a street was cordoned off by Tayside Fire and Rescue because of the fast-flowing water.
It followed a day-long downpour that caused the Ruchill, a tributary of the River Earn, to burst its banks.
Several cars were soon submerged as the river diverted from its normal course on to Camp Road on the outskirts of the village.
Firefighters blocked off the area because of the danger posed by the rushing water as householders tried to limit damage to their homes.
Resident Lesley Oates said: "I have just come in from changing my socks for the third time. I have been lucky because the water has stopped two or three inches from my door.
"The river came up really quickly. Some of the houses are under a lot of water. One of my neighbours is out in his waders assessing the damage."
Linsey Strachan, who works in a local shop, said: "It is absolutely terrible in Camp Road. The river burst its banks and houses near the bowling green have been badly flooded.
"It happened just before the rain stopped. The river was really badly swollen. People there said at least six houses had been affected."
An eye-witness, who asked not to be named, said: "The river has changed direction and is just coming down the middle of the street now. It's incredible.
"I can see at least six cars which are right under water."
The incident happened on a day when weather warnings were issued across Scotland in the wake of prolonged heavy rainfall.
Published on 28 August 2012
Gordon Currie The Herald
Three people rescued from Frinton care home fire
Three people at The Firs were
treated for the effects of smoke inhalation
A care home evacuated after a television caught fire has
been declared safe for residents to return.
Firefighters were called to The Firs in Thorpe Road, in Kirby Cross near
Frinton-on-Sea, at 17:50 BST on Thursday.
They rescued two residents and a carer from the first floor of the building,
which had caught fire when a drink was spilt on a TV set.
The three were treated for the effects of "minor smoke inhalation".
Assistant divisional officer Lee Lucas said before staff were able to remove
the TV it "burst into flames creating a great deal of thick black smoke".
The fire was extinguished by 18:35, the fire service said.
Sanaz Kadar, director of The Firs, which cares for younger adults, said they
hoped to put right the damage caused "as quickly as possible".
"All the residents stayed here at The Firs after the building was confirmed
safe by the fire services," he said.
From BBC.
Tuesday 21 August 2012
Attacks on fire service personnel carrying out duties fall by 35%
One force: New national fire service being rolled out.
Attacks on firefighters have fallen by just over a third in the last year, new figures reveal.
Crews were attacked 112 times in 2011-12, with one person injured, down 35% on the previous year when 172 attacks were recorded and 14 firefighters were injured.
The most common form of attack last year was objects thrown at firefighters or their appliances, which happened on 50 occasions.
Firefighters were subject to verbal abuse 38 times in 2011-12 and physical abuse nine times, while eight cases of harassment and seven other acts of aggression were logged.
Talk about the bleeding obvious!!!!!
Firefighters called to car alight at Strood petrol station
Firefighters have warned of the dangers of driving into a petrol forecourt when your car is on fire.
It came after a blazing Renault pulled into the Co-op petrol station on the A2, Watling Street, at 8.30pm yesterday.
A spokesman for Kent Fire and Rescue said the man made the ‘sudden decision’ to drive into the forecourt and park after noticing flames coming from his car.
Firefighters spent an hour putting out the blaze and carrying out safety checks at the garage.
The spokesman added: "If you realise that your car might be alight when you are driving, pull over at the first available opportunity, but try to avoid exposing other people to risk."
No one was injured in the incident.
Man rescued from roof during fire at Dundee flats
A man was rescued from a roof after a fire broke out at
flats in Dundee.
The blaze began in the attic of a three-storey building in the Hilltown area
of the city at about 20:30.
Tayside Fire and Rescue Service said they received a large volume of calls
about the incident.
Firefighters brought the man down from the roof with an aerial ladder. He was
taken to hospital to be checked over. The blaze is being treated as
suspicious.
Residents from all four of the flats within the building were led to safety.
No-one else was hurt.
Blaze destroys barn near primary school causing £32,000 worth of damage
Firefighters: The blaze broke out at around 7pm on Sunday.
A blaze destroyed a barn near a primary school causing £32,000 worth of damage.
Firefighters have launched an investigation into the cause of the fire, which broke out at a farm building in the village of Moniaive near Dumfries.
Crews tackled the blaze near Moniaive Primary School after it was discovered at around 7pm on Sunday.
The cost of damage to the barn, which contained hay, a tractor, two trailers and a 4X4 vehicle, is thought to be more than £32,000.
Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary confirmed a joint police and fire investigation is taking place on Monday.
The fire did not spread to the primary school building, which dates back to the 1880s and is located in the village’s Chapel Street.
Fire and Rescue Services Statistics, Scotland 2011-12
21/08/2012
Scotland’s Chief Statistician today published Fire and Rescue Services Statistics, which provides statistics on Fire and Rescue Services workforce, stations and equipment, Home Fire Safety Visits, non-domestic fire safety and attacks on Fire and Rescue Service personnel at incidents.
The key findings of the statistics are:
Workforce
On 31 March 2012, the headcount of Fire and Rescue Services staff in Scotland was 9,040, of which 14 per cent are female.
Of Scotland’s Fire and Rescue Services, 0.6 per cent of staff are recorded as belonging to a minority ethnic group and 0.6 per cent of staff have a disability.
Attacks on Fire and Rescue Services Personnel
The provisional figures for 2011-12 recorded 112 incidents where attacks on fire fighters occurred; this was a decrease of 60 incidents (35 per cent) from 2010-11.
Home Fire Safety Visits
In 2011-12, there were 56,545 Home Fire Safety Visits performed by Scotland’s Fire and Rescue Services – this is approximately one visit for every 44 dwellings in Scotland. During these visits, 46,395 smoke alarms were installed.
Non – Domestic Fire Safety
In 2011-12, Scotland’s Fire and Rescue Services completed 7,555 fire safety audits and 40 enforcement notices and 26 prohibition notices. This represents five per cent of known non-domestic premises in Scotland and took 50,380 hours.
Of the 7,555 fire safety audits that were completed in 2011-12, 90 per cent were found to have reached compliant standards after the initial inspection.
Official statistics are produced by professionally independent statistical staff.
This is the third publication of Fire and Rescue Services Statistics as Official Statistics. Stations, equipment and Home Fire Safety Visits have been included in this publication for the first time.
Official statistics are produced by professionally independent statistical staff – more information on the standards of official statistics in Scotland can be accessed at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/About.
Thursday 16 August 2012
Off-licence owner convicted of fire safety breaches 09 August 2012
The owner of an off-licence in Salford has been fined £22,000 and ordered to pay more than £4,000 in costs after being convicted of nine offences under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
Tahair Mahmood Arif of Matthews Lane, Levenshulme pleaded guilty to the offences at Manchester City magistrates’ court on 2 August.
Fire safety officers inspected the premises on 11 April 2011 after Salford City Council raised concerns about the safety of the property. At the time, the ground floor of the three storey building was being used as a shop and the upper floors were being used as living accommodation.
The court heard that the only way up to the sleeping accommodation was an open wooden stairway from the shop, which was surrounded by highly combustible items.
There was no fire alarm and the fire doors to the storage areas were wedged open. The back yard was piled over six feet high with rubbish, preventing anyone from escaping into the yard, said the prosecution.
Officers also found that all of the windows on the first floor were secured with external metal roller shutters.
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service issued a prohibition notice preventing anyone using the first and second floors and two days later issued an enforcement notice. But when officers revisited the premises in June, they found that the work specified had not been carried out and that the upper floors were still being used.
Warren Spencer, prosecuting for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority, told the court that the lack of alarm and blocked escape routes meant that if a fire had occurred there would have been nowhere to escape to. When officers visited again in April 2012 the upper floors were still in use despite the prohibition notice remaining in force.
Sentencing, chair of the bench William Smith, said: "This is a very serious situation and the risk to life and limb of people using the upper floors was phenomenal. If a fire had occurred, the condition of the property would have posed a serious risk to members of the fire service trying to rescue people from the building.”
New merged fire service chief 'honoured' to be appointed to £165k role
TAYSIDE chief Alasdair Hay will be the first Chief Fire Officer of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
THE man appointed to head Scotland's national fire service said he was honoured to have been given the opportunity to help shape the new force.
Alasdair Hay will be the first Chief Fire Officer of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
The organisation is being created following a major shake-up of fire and police which will see the country's existing regional forces merged into nationwide emergency services.
Mr Hay, currently the acting Chief Fire Officer in Tayside, will be paid £165,000 a year in the job.
The 50-year-old father-of-three is expected to start in the autumn, ahead of the new fire service taking over on April 1 next year.
He will initially be based at Perth community fire station, where the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service will have its interim headquarters.
Edinburgh-born Mr Hay said: "I am honoured to take this unique opportunity to shape and deliver the new single Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
"It will allow us to sustain and improve the local services communities in all parts of Scotland depend on, to build on success and do more."
Mr Hay worked with Essex County Fire and Rescue Service from 1983 to 1992.
He was then a senior instructor at the Scottish Fire Services College from 1992 to 1994, the year he joined Tayside Fire and Rescue Service.
He has also worked with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Advisory Unit for a period on secondment.
Mr Hay said: "Throughout my career, I have demonstrated a genuine commitment to partnership working.
"I will continue to work closely with the workforce, unions, government, local authorities and other key partners to maintain the high standards of the Scottish fire and rescue services.
"Above all, the single Scottish Fire and Rescue Service will strengthen the connections with all communities and the people we serve.
"This new service will be efficient and effective, and focused on the needs of the people who depend on the vital services our dedicated workforce delivers."
The fire service Mr Hay will head will have a workforce of more than 9,000 firefighters and support staff.
He was appointed after a nationwide recruitment process, with candidates from across the UK putting themselves forward for the post.
Community safety minister Roseanna Cunningham said that Mr Hay had "the experience and attributes to be an outstanding first Chief Officer for the new single service".
She added: "He has passion for the service and genuine commitment for the successful delivery of the new single structure."
Ms Cunningham said she was confident Mr Hay would work with others to "ensure the continued delivery of excellent fire and rescue services in communities right in all parts of Scotland".
The Scottish Government has said creating single police and fire services will save £1.7 billion over 15 years.
Legislation to merge the regional forces was granted Royal Assent last week.
Recruitment is under way for a chief constable for the new national police force.
The appointment was welcomed by the Chief Fire Officers Association Scotland, whose chair David Dalziel said: "The association would like to take the opportunity to congratulate Alasdair Hay on his appointment.
"We look forward to working with him in making the transition to the single service as smooth and successful as possible."
Labour's Jenny Marra also congratulated Mr Hay on the appointment.
The MSP said: "There are challenges ahead to ensure that the new single service is ready in time for its launch and to ensure that Scots continue to receive an ever-improving service once the force is up and running next year.
"I know Mr Hay from Tayside Fire and Rescue, and know him to be someone who is trusted, respected and gets the best out of his staff.
"I look forward to meeting with Mr Hay in due course to hear how the preparatory work is going and to understand what he sees as the biggest challenges facing the single service."
From The Daily Record.
Firefighters tackle London's biggest blaze in years
13 Aug 2012
What has been described as the biggest blaze in London for years is now under control after more than 200 firefighters spent hours extinguishing the flames on the final day of the 2012 Olympics.
Crews were called to Hunts Waste recycling centre on Chequers Lane in Dagenham, just eight miles from the Olympic Park at around 1.15pm on Sunday August 12th.
At the height of the inferno the entire single storey building was ablaze and around 40 fire engines were in attendance.
London fire commissioner Ron Dobson said: "We've not seen a fire of this size in London for several years - it's certainly a dramatic end to the Olympics for the London Fire Brigade."
However, he insisted that the incident did not adversely affect the fire cover being provided at the Games venues, nor did it impact on the brigade's ability to attend other incidents in London.
The cause of the fire is not yet known, although an investigation will now be launched.
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 assessment is found to have been carried out to an insufficient extent, the Responsible Person can face an unlimited fine or a prison sentence of up to two years.
A candle that had been left in a garage in Eccleshall sparked a fire late last night.
"The important reminder here is to please ensure you only use candles with a suitable holder and or base and double-check they are properly extinguished before leaving unattended."
Firefighters from Eccleshall and Stafford were called to the property on Stafford Road at 11.10pm last night.
The occupier had lit a candle whilst sitting out enjoying the warm weather last night then, believing she’d extinguished it, left it on a metal container on top of a chest freezer in the garage.
The garage is attached to the house and was also being used to store LPG cylinders and other flammable materials.
Station Manager, Dermot Hogan said: "The candle had been lit earlier in the evening and used in the garden, it was the type of candle designed to keep bugs away. The lady then thought she’d extinguished it and so left it in the garage.
"However, unbeknownst to her, the candle continued to burn and the heat from it eventually transferred from the metal base it was placed in and sparked a fire involving the chest freezer.
"The fire spread to some other items in the garage but luckily smoke alarms alerted her to the problem before the fire could develop. She managed to put the fire out herself using a hose pipe from the garden just before we arrived.
"The important reminder here is to please ensure you only use candles with a suitable holder and or base and double-check they are properly extinguished before leaving unattended.
"We would also advise against people tackling fires themselves, in this instance the woman was able to put the fire out herself without coming to harm but it’s always best to leave it to the professionals."
Police are carrying out door-to-door enquiries as part of their investigation into a fire that destroyed a car maintenance garage in Aberdeen on Sunday August 12th.
The blaze broke out at Gordon's Garage on Pittodrie Place around 3.50am and more than 40 firefighters were called to the scene.
Inspector Christine Gordon from Grampian Police said the fire was "substantial" and has caused "extensive" damage both to the building itself and the vehicles inside.
"While it is still very early, it is estimated that the value of the damage will likely amount to a six figure sum of money," she remarked.
Police and fire authorities are treating the incident as unexplained at this point and have launched a joint investigation to determine the cause.
A 'suitable and sufficient' fire risk assessment must be conducted on all commercial properties in Scotland under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005.
If this assessment is deemed to have been carried out to an insufficient extent, the Duty Holder for the establishment can face an unlimited fine or up to two years in prison.
The owner of the Beach Break Cafe fish and chip shop in Brighton has been found guilty of breaching fire safety regulations.
Ms Coull who owns the café was fined £21,000 after pleading guilty to breaching 6 fire safety regulations. The case was heard at Brighton Magistrates Court.
The breaches were discovered after a fire broke out in the property in 2011. The cafe had no emergency lighting and only one domestic standard smoke alarm, which was not working properly.
A fire risk assessment had not been carried out in the property and staff had not been given any fire safety training.
Richard Fowler from East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said: “The public should continue to be reassured that we take any breaches of fire safety legislation very seriously.”
After serving for 27years in the Fire Service, the last 4 years as a Lecturer in Fire Safety at The Fire Service College, I decided to start my own company - Fire isk Assessments & Training Ltd.
So here I am, first time on a Blog and hoping to generate some interest in The Company .
I will be posting regular briefings on Fire Safety issues and other things.
Fire Risk Assessments and Training Ltd provide Fire Risk Assessments and Fire Warden Training across the whole of Scotland. The Company is registered with The Institution of Fire Engineers, Fire Industry Assosciation and The Fire Protection Association.
The Company offers free advice to help companies comply with The Fire (Scotland) Act 2005: Part 3 and The Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006.
The Company provides high quality work at very competitive costs.
Fire Risk Assessments and Staff / Fire Warden and Fire Risk Assessor training ensures your Company is compliant with the new Regulations.
Clients must have a Fire Risk Assessment carried out and recorded by competent persons. They must also provide staff training in fire fighting and evacuation techniques.
All the best to you all.
Firefighters have warned of the dangers of driving into a petrol forecourt when your car is on fire.
