18 Mar 2013
Dozens of firefighters spent five hours battling a blaze on an industrial estate in the north-east last weekend.
Some 50 firefighters were called to the fire at an unused building belonging to Hartlepool Erection Group at about 8.50pm on Sunday, March 10.
The cause of the fire is still unknown and will be investigated over the next few weeks by fire safety officers.
At its peak, six fire engines, a commander control unit and a hydraulic platform were being used before the blaze was eventually brought under control at about 1.30am.
Ronnie Olds, a crew manager at Stranton Fire Station, told the Hartlepool Mail: “It was a large commercial storage shed which had a large quantity of mixed materials and plastics which had caught light. Due to the nature of the fire the shed was deemed to be unstable which impaired our operations.”
By law, non-domestic premises in England and Wales must have a ‘suitable and sufficient’ fire risk assessment carried out under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
Copyright Press Association 2013