INTERNATIONAL FIRE STORIES

UK Firefighters Battle Industrial Unit Fire

January 12, 2010

Firefighters have been called to a disused industrial unit on fire. The single storey unit measures approximately 20 x 25m, crews are wearing breathing apparatus and using two hose reels to extinguish the fire. The building is 100 percent smoke logged. Update 15:05 Crews wearing breathing apparatus are tackling the blaze using two hose reels, one jet and the aerial ladder platform.

Update 16:14 The fire has been extinguished, crews used a total of 12 sets of breathing apparatus, three hose reels and two jets. Cutting equipment was also used to gain access to the fire.

Update 18:33 Crews remain at the incident cooling an acetylene cylinder that was involved in the fire. One fire appliance will remain at the scene and fire crew will monitor the cylinder through out the night.

Divisional Officer Bob Wahl said:

"Firefighters were called to a disused business unit on fire, it was previously used as a garage and parts storeroom. The crews did an excellent job in tackling the blaze and preventing the fire from spreading to an adjacent industrial estate.

"The cause of the fire is unknown at this stage, it is being treated as suspicious and an investigation will be carried out by ECFRS and the police."

Pallet Fire Threatens Forklifts
January 25, 2010

Around twelve forklifts and a neighboring building came under threat of fire today as a large pile of stacked crates and plastic caught alight. Fire fighters quickly went into action to extinguish the blaze which burnt for around an hour and a half. CAFS was used from the Capalaba appliance which prevented the flames from spreading further.

Numerous sets of breathing apparatus were also used during the incident in which no one was injured.

Investigations are continuing into the cause of the blaze.

Belgium Apartment Building Collapses After Blast

January 27, 2010

A five-story apartment building collapsed following an explosion early Wednesday, injuring at least 20 people, two of them critically, and trapping some in debris, officials said. Rescue workers searched the rubble of the downtown apartment block in the eastern city of Liege for survivors, but had to briefly flee when the facade of the building collapsed hours after the 2 a.m. (0100 GMT), blast.

A gas leak was the likely source of the explosion, officials said. Immediately after the blast, a fire raged through the building and thick smoke billowed up into the air from the top windows of the century-old building.

Mayor Willy Demeyer said several people were trapped in the rubble and that firemen have located at least two who were still alive. It was unclear how the collapse of the facade affected those still buried.

"Firemen are working to try to bring them out," he said.

In all, 50 people were evacuated. The blast shattered windows in the city hall, 100 meters (yards) away and spread debris and dust throughout the adjacent streets in downtown Liege.

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