News - Whale Fire

Trafalgar Square pub fire

Over 100 firefighters attended this pub fire in Trafalgar Square recently. The public house is located on the corner of two busy streets and would therefore would have caused LFB (London Fire Brigade) numerous problems in terms of access, traffic and pedestrian control.

Lots of people were safely evacuated from the pub which is believed to have started in the basement. Again, this would have caused a range of complications for firefighting teams in terms of access, crew safety and welfare, arduous heat, smoke dispersal to name just a few.

Pubs often have basement areas which are often used as cellars for drink storage and the location of the utilities. They often come with difficult access and can have unusual layouts.

It was good to see LFB safely evacuate the pub so quickly and deal with the basement fire so efficiently before it took control of the rest of the building.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jul/12/trafalgar-square-fire-admiralty-pub-smoke-after-blaze-breaks-out-in-pub-basement

Whale Fire provide fire risk assessments right across London including to all public houses. Please visit our Fire Risk Assessment London page here:

https://www.whalefire.co.uk/london/fire-risk-assessments-london.aspx

LFB Fire Safety Advice

London Fire Brigade (LFB) have provided a link for all responsible persons with fire safety advice. They offer assistance for a whole range of issues and can provide guidance and support on the following items:

Alarms and fire detection systems
Evacuation plans
Emergency lighting
External wall systems and facades
Fire doors and compartmentation
Fire engine access and nearby water supply
Fire engineering support
Firefighting equipment for different risks
Fire safety staff training for all buildings
Historic and listed buildings
Hospitals
Means of escape

With regards to fire risk assessments they are unable to complete these as it is a conflict of interest. They suggest using a qualified and accredited company. This is where Whale Fire can help where all fire risk assessments are accredited by Warrington through the FRACs scheme.

https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/safety/the-workplace/advice-for-responsible-persons/

For all London Fire Risk Assessments please visit:

https://www.whalefire.co.uk/london/fire-risk-assessments-london.aspx

Watford bin fire spreads to building

This recent fire in Watford could have been a lot worse and fortunately was contained without anyone being seriously injured. This fire actually started as a bin fire which spread to the building from the ground floor level.

I think it raises a good point for fire risk assessors as often the sole focus is on the inside of a building. We are all too aware of the need to consider the external facade of a building with the Building Safety Bill and Fire Safety Act 2021. This primarily deals with cladding issues but we should also consider the location of bin stores and how these are being managed.

Whether the fire was deliberate or accidental, it had the potential to spread to the building and therefore the location and security of bins stores (in terms of access) is important.

How many times have fire risk assessors spent only assessing the insides of building only to later discover a fire has been started externally at ground floor level by a bin or discarded cigarette. Food for thought as always.

Watford fire: Residents feared ‘another Grenfell’ after fire at tower block (msn.com)

For all London Fire Risk Assessments please visit Whale Fire's Fire Risk Assessment London page here:

https://lnkd.in/e8NhtV-r

North London Industrial Fire

This recent industrial unit fire in London was attended to by up to 60 firefighters. These type of fires can cause all sorts of problems for firefighting crews and some of the risks and considerations include:

·      The processes that take place in the unit (hazardous materials, cylinders, machinery etc)
·      The type of toxic smoke these processes and materials give off
·      The dangers of explosions and fire spread across buildings
·      Possible mezzanine floor levels and staff working remotely
·      The potential need for mass evacuation for nearly units and homes
·      Environmental considerations and water run off from these types of fires

The above list is not exhaustive but shows some of the potential risks that can be faced at these types of incidents. Firefighters will need to know where the utility isolation points are so these can be switched off as soon as possible.

This is also why its important that a fire risk assessment is in place and any risks mitigated as much as possible beforehand.

https://lnkd.in/ekKzzXR3

For London Fire Risk Assessments, please visit Whale Fire’s Fire Risk Assessment London page here:

https://lnkd.in/e8NhtV-r

Bedford Fire

Firefighters are fighting a huge fire at a block of 20 flats in Bedford which has been caused by a huge gas explosion. There are reports of two injuries, one potentially very serious.

The fire appears to have burnt through a large section of the roof and is a very serious incident which has obviously affected several flats within this three floor apartment block.

The fire service are advising any nearby residents to keep their doors and windows shut due to the volume of smoke in the area. I hope this is under control now and the injuries are not as bad as first feared.

I will watch the developments of this fire and update with any potential information about what caused the gas explosion and how the fire was able to spread to so many flats and the roof space so quickly.
Firefighters tackling 'inferno' after major gas explosion at block of flats (msn.com)

South East London Fire

Dozens of firefighters in London are battling a fire on the 15th floor of a 17 floor high rise block of flats in South East London. I hope everybody has been safely evacuated and firefighters have been able to get the fire under control.
It will be interesting to see what has caused this fire and whether the fire was able to be contained within a single flat. Hopefully the dry riser and AOV systems are all working and any other fire safety systems all did their job.

If this was a building with a stay put policy, then it will be interesting to see whether firefighters had to evacuate any nearby flats or if any smoke managed to escape in the communal lobbies and staircase areas.

Its also always worth mentioning the external facade of the building. If these fires break out of an external wall via a window or balcony then the materials on the building can have a major impact on external fire spread. I will keep an eye on this one and lets hope everybody is safe.

For all London Fire Risk Assessments please visit:

https://www.whalefire.co.uk/london/fire-risk-assessments-london.aspx

Residential fire risk assessment London

Whale Fire can provide all of your residential fire risk assessment requirements throughout London. Perhaps you are selling your flat and need an urgent fire risk assessment in order for the sale to progress. If that’s the case, please visit our article on ‘Selling your flat need a fire risk assessment here’:

https://www.whalefire.co.uk/newsdetail.aspx?id=311

This article ‘Do I need a fire risk assessment to sell my flat’ provides information about the regulatory legislative requirements that tell you why you need such an assessment before you can make the sale/purchase:

https://www.whalefire.co.uk/newsdetail.aspx?id=313

Whether your flat is a HMO (House of Multiple Occupation), converted or purpose-built building, Whale Fire can help. Our fire risk assessments are always accredited by a qualified assessor and come with third party accreditation.