19 Mar 2013
Local authorities have determined that Saturday’s fire at a car wash in Blackburn was not suspicious.
Sparkles Car Wash and Tyre Centre, in the Mill Hill area, was obliterated by the inferno, which is believed to have begun at 08.40am. Five vehicles were also destroyed, while two others were damaged.
Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that 30 firefighters used six appliances to tackle the fire but the two-storey building could not be saved. Nobody was hurt in the blaze, which was “well alight” when crews arrived.
An investigation was launched but checks of the site show the fire was accidental, though the exact cause is not yet known.
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, a ‘suitable and sufficient’ fire risk assessment is required for all non-domestic premises in England and Wales. An insufficient assessment could lead to an unlimited fine or two years in prison for the Responsible Person.
Copyright Press Association 2013