Nursing Home Fire - Knutsford

Once again a Fire Sprinkler Installation could have prevented this fire at a nursing home in Knutsford.

Crews were called to the property just after 11pm on 1 October, where they found a first-floor bedroom well alight and smoke in the main corridor. They managed to help three residents out by the internal staircase and the other three using the external staircase.

A total of seven residents were then taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation. The fire was extinguished around an hour later with one hose reel jet and a positive pressure ventiliation fan.

The bedroom was extensively damaged but the fire door prevented further spread, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service said.

 

BBC News - Elderly residents rescued from Inverness care home fire

Dozen of elderly people have spent the night in temporary accommodation after fire destroyed a nursing home in the Inverness area. The 59 residents of Culloden Court and 12 members of staff all got out safely.

Once again this shows how vulnerable our elderly are in care homes and this fire could have easily been avoided by fitting a Residential Fire Sprinkler installation. It will not be long before life is lost in a care home and fire sprinklers become mandatory ifor care homes but lets hope that the government acts before the inevitable.

BBC News - Elderly residents rescued from Inverness care home fire

Fire Sprinkler for the most vulnerable

The London Fire & Emergency Planning Authority, an elected body, has approved a sprinkler policy document for London Fire Brigade. It commits London Fire Brigade to promote sprinklers in "those properties where the most significant impact can be achieved, these are schools, residential care homes, domestic premises housing the most vulnerable and commercial premises that present a significant risk due to their size, construction or use."

While most of the focus is on new buildings the policy also applies to buildings undergoing major refurbishments.

Fire at Fire Station

Firefighters in Scotland had to deal with a blaze rather close to home last weekend – in their very own fire station.

The fire was discovered by a crew commander when he entered the community station in Tobermory on the Isle of Mull shortly after 6.30 pm last Friday. He alerted the operations support centre and firefighters then removed the station’s two appliances from the engine bay and used them to tackle the fire.

The fire was extinguished by around 9.00 pm and damage was restricted to a small area of the roof void and ceiling of a lecture room.

Sprinklers contain fire at industrial recycling plant

A fire at a 250m x 100m industrial waste recycling plant in Kidderminster was contained thanks to a fire sprinkler system and the early intervention of fire crews.

Firefighters arrived after an initial call at 3.30am on Tuesday morning and immediately called for four extra pumps. A command support vehicle and environmental protection unit also attended the incident.
Three firefighters in breathing apparatus gained access to the building to help tackle the fire from inside, and two covering jets and one high pressure hose reel were also used.

Group manager Mick Cadman from Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue service said: "Thanks to the sprinkler system and the early intervention of our fire crews, the fire was contained to just one area inside one of the 12 access bays at the plant, and we were able to scale down to one pump by around 7.30am.

“Sprinklers activated in the affected area only, limiting the spread of fire and overall damage to the building while reducing the risk to firefighters tackling the blaze and the environmental impact. We'd urge all businesses to give proper consideration to this aspect of their safety planning."

http://www.info4fire.com/news-content/full/sprinklers-contain-fire-at-industrial-recycling-plant