Huge blaze breaks out at London DIY warehouse

Fire crews are tackling a blaze which broke out in a DIY warehouse in east London.

 

Around 50 firemen and ten fire engines were called to the facility in Chingford at around 3pm yesterday (4th April), the London Fire Brigade said.
Upon arrival, crews from Chingford, Tottenham, Edmonton, Woodford and Walthamstow fire stations discovered half of the building alight.

A staff member at the nearby E4 Health and Fitness claimed that the affected building was a former Focus superstore.

"We are hemmed in at the moment, that's all," she said. "It is the Focus building which is on fire. I can see it from here."

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.

The cause of the blaze is currently unknown.

Berkshire pub gutted by fire

A pub in Eversley near Finchampstead, in Berkshire, was destroyed by fire on Wednesday morning.

 

Crews from Wokingham, Reading, Yateley and Hartley Wintney were called to the Tally Ho pub at 4am after flames were seen protruding from the roof.

The Bracknell News reports that 50 per cent of the roof and top floor were destroyed by the fire, with an aerial ladder from Reading required to tackle the blaze.

A Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said: "It was well alight in the roof when crews got there. The flames were out by 5.30am and they have been damping down since then."

It is not yet known what caused the fire and an investigation will be launched shortly.

The news follows a Bank Holiday Monday blaze at a derelict pub in Conisbrough, South Yorkshire.

The Castle Inn fire required crews from Dearne, Maltby and Edlington to tackle it, but no evacuations from surrounding properties were required

Salford hotel owner pleads guilty to fire safety breaches

The owner of a hotel in Salford has pleaded guilty to several breaches of fire safety regulations.

Sultan Chaudhry, the owner of the White Lodge Hotel in Cheetham Street West, pleaded guilty to ten breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 at Manchester Magistrates' Court on April 4th.

Fire safety officers from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) discovered a range of fire safety issues at the hotel after a blaze broke out in the premises on April 13th 2011.

Concerns were raised after a guest from the first-floor had to be rescued by crews despite the manager claiming that no one was inside the property.

Officers discovered faulty fire alarms, empty fire extinguishers, inadequate escape routes, no emergency lighting on one escape route and that a fire door had been removed.

There was also no suitable fire risk assessment in place and staff working at the hotel had not received adequate training, prompting officers to slap a prohibition notice on the hotel to prevent people from staying there.

Peter O'Reilly, from GMFRS, said: "This could have been a very serious incident.

"It is unacceptable for a hotel business not to have proper procedures in place and put lives at risk."

Swindon DIY store damaged in blaze

 

A DIY store in Swindon has been damaged after a fire broke out in a backroom on Saturday morning (14th April).

Fire crews were called to Ron's Stores in Rodbourne Road at around 12.35am after a member of the public alerted the emergency services to the incident, reports the Swindon Advertiser.

Officers used six breathing apparatus, three hosereels, a main jet and positive pressure ventilation to bring the blaze under control within around two hours.
An estimated £1,500 worth of stock was destroyed in the fire, while the roof, ceiling and fittings were also damaged in the blaze. Fire doors ensured that flames did not spread to the rest of the store.

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

London landlord fined for housing regulation breaches

A London landlord has been fined for breaching housing regulations and failing to provide adequate fire protection equipment.

Hassan Akhtar Niazi, the owner of a house in multiple occupation ( HMO ) in Balham, pleaded guilty to four offences under the Housing Act at Richmond Magistrates' Court on March 28th, having been prosecuted by Wandsworth Council.

He was fined more than £6,500 for three breaches of the Management of HMO Regulations and failing to licence a HMO .

Mr Niazi, of Vant Road, was found to have failed to provide fire doors, fire fighting equipment or a mains wired alarm system.

Council inspectors also found that 15 people were living inside unsanitary rooms in the three-storey flat. The communal stairway was obstructed by clothes, shoes, furniture, household articles and refuse, while environmental health officers deemed the kitchen to be "filthy" and the bathroom and toilets to be unsanitary.

Under the Housing Act 2004, properties of three or more storeys with five or more tenants who share amenities are required to be licensed