Firefighters work for 16 hours on major fire at construction site

Around 100 firefighters worked tirelessly for 16 hours in order to extinguish a major blaze at a construction site in Basingstoke.

Hampshire Fire and Rescue crews were called out to a fire at a timber framed, four-storey building at just after 6pm. They had to employ three water carriers, a specialist equipment unit, two aerial ladder platforms and a multi-role vehicle in order to tackle the flames, which were not fully extinguished until the following morning.

Immediate reports suggested that the building was “100% severely damaged by fire” and that two tower cranes and assorted builders’ vehicles were also damaged in the blaze. Surrounding buildings, including a nearby college and 50 residences, were also affected by smoke and heat.

Fire investigation officers and the police have launched a joint investigation to establish the cause of the fire. There have been a number of high profile fires involving similar buildings in recent times and, as a result, the London Assembly are due to publish recommendations on the safety of timber framed constructions.

In the aftermath of the fire, John Bonney, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service Chief Officer and President of the Chief Fire Officers Association, warned: “When timber framed buildings catch fire the actual structure burns. It often leads to total collapse and that puts the safety of our firefighters at risk.”

“The potential for fire spread was clearly of major concern at this incident, and shows that the Chief Fire Officer’s Association is right to be increasingly worried about the number and severity of fires in timber framed buildings under construction.”

First Response Training offer a number of fire safety training courses to enable delegates to prevent the outbreak of fire and to minimise the damage if a fire does occur. The Statutory Fire training course is just 2 hours in duration and provides the training and information required by law to equip staff with the skills and knowledge that they need to cope with an emergency situation.

The Fire Marshal course is aimed at members of staff whose designated role it is to co-ordinate and lead fire safety and evacuation procedures in the workplace. Another important full day course is Fire Safety for Managers and Supervisors, which provides delegates with an awareness of the legal obligations for the effective management of fire safety in the workplace.

E-learning and Business Development Manager, Pete Stock, explains the options for online fire safety training: “We offer a range of e-learning titles, including Fire Risk Assessment, Bomb Evacuation and Fire Safety. These courses are great for induction and refresher training and are a cost-effective alternative to practical training. They can be completed in just 30 minutes and by anyone with access to a computer. They are the simplest way to ensure that your staff are knowledgeable about fire safety and have the skills needed to control the risks.”