Manchester Hold Its Breath As Fire Rages
A fire that started at a recycling plant in Salford, Manchester (Duncan Street) just before Midnight on Sunday is now under investigation – while firefighters...
Read Full ArticleCouncillor David Acton, who heads up a team of 30 local councillors who form the authority, said the fire in Duncan Street was the third large-scale incident at a recycling site in less than six months.
And he said earlier fires in similar businesses showed that sprinkler systems do work - providing safety for local residents and firefighters tackling a blaze.
Councillor Acton said: "Two fires at a recycling site in Stockport proved that sprinklers work. We had the Junction 25 fire in Bredbury which lasted 26 days and smouldered for a further seven when there were no sprinklers.
"There was a fire at a similar site nearby shortly afterwards where sprinklers were installed and the fire was extinguished within hours, meaning the business could be back up and running the same day."
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) is campaigning for sprinkler systems to become legally enforceable, particularly in premises of this type but also in commercial buildings and blocks of flats in a bid to reduce deaths and injuries in fires but also to protect their own staff.
Acton continued: "The fire in Duncan Street has been burning for more than a week and we are still working hard to remove the waste and ultimately put the fire out.
"It has been a complex and challenging incident to deal with and we have committed significant resources to it. Had these premises been fitted with a sprinkler system there is every chance we would not be in this position."
Acton also called for tougher and more rigorous regulation for sites that manage recycled waste. He added: "These sites are problematic and provide a very real danger not only to local residents living nearby but the environment and not least our own firefighters when they set on fire. We have to get tougher on how material is stored and how these sites are managed."
Officers from GMFRS have been working with partner agencies at the Duncan Street fire including the Environment Agency, Public Health England, Network Rail, United Utilities, North West Ambulance Service, Greater Manchester Police and local authorities to minimise the effects of the fire on local people, businesses and the environment.
The blaze broke out just before 11.30pm on Sunday, March 2, and GMFRS has been working hard to extinguish it since then, committing significant resources including fire engines, specialist vehicles and around the clock crews from across the area.
Article written by Brian Shillibeer
A fire that started at a recycling plant in Salford, Manchester (Duncan Street) just before Midnight on Sunday is now under investigation – while firefighters...
Read Full ArticleSince ThisWeekinFM reported this story on Monday Aug 14, MPs, concerned the Bell & Chimes would be silenced for too long, have intervened to consider if the period of...
Read Full ArticleOxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has received a report on fire safety in the Trauma Unit at the John Radcliffe Hospital. An extraordinary Board Meeting...
Read Full ArticleFriday may 26 saw crews called to fire in hedgerow at Wimbledon Tennis Club Four fire engines and 21 firefighters and officers went to a practice court area of the All...
Read Full ArticlePolice, the London Ambulance Service, the Fire Brigade and eventually the London Air Ambulance were called to an explosion at a building site on Thursday 16 in...
Read Full ArticleSamsung has stated that only about 60 per cent of owners have returned their Note 7 device for a replacement despite them being a serious fire risk - including on a...
Read Full ArticleYou couldn't have written it - well ThisWeekinFM could - the brand new British Airways' observation tower (which opened to the public on August 4 on Brighton...
Read Full ArticleAt lunchtime on Tuesday a man was finally talked down from a crane on the site of the new Tottenham Hotspur football stadium. After 18 hours, he was promptly...
Read Full ArticleActing as a stark warning to seek diagnosis and treatment at the earliest opportunity, ECIS, the employee benefits company for the construction sector has published...
Read Full ArticleFirefighting continued through the night of Wednesday March 30 at the scene of the Saltley fire, with around 70 firefighters having to stay on site. Seven fire...
Read Full Article