A Holborn Office Fire appears to have started within a
ceiling void on the third floor and subsequently spread throughout the voids.
150 Firefighters were call to the scene as this was a complex Fire due to the
age and layout of the building.
London Fire Brigade reported on their incident page that the
roof of the six-storey building and a staircase from the third to the fifth
floor were destroyed by the Fire. Half of the third and fourth floor were also
damaged. Around twenty-eight people left the building before the London Fire Brigade
arrived and 11 people were evacuated from nearby flats as a precaution.
There were no reports of any injuries.
"Firefighters worked throughout the night in very
challenging and arduous conditions to prevent the Fire from spreading to key
areas of the historic building, while also trying to prevent water damage.
"Crews remained on scene throughout Sunday damping
down and cutting away. They also carried out salvage work to minimise damage to
the building.”
Fire investigators have now completed their examination at
the scene and believe the cause of the Fire to be accidental, although the
exact cause has currently been recorded as undetermined.
The Fire appears to have started within a ceiling void on
the third floor and subsequently spread throughout the voids, increasing the
challenge for our Firefighters with both Firefighting and protecting the
contents of the building. To read more click here
London Fire Risk Assessments comments:
The compartmentation of a building is crucial, if it is not
intact a Fire can spread rapidly through a Building. A good Fire Risk
Assessment for a Building will identify any deficiencies within the
compartmentation and these will be recorded in the Fire
Safety Management Plan – Significant Findings. It is vital that the
identified ‘Responsible Persons’ acts on these findings to ensure the safety of
the occupants and the Building itself.
If you need help, then contact London Fire Risk Assessments
– they are a Fire Safety Consultancy based in London and are completely independent.
They are not affiliated to any Fire Protection Services Company, so their
advice is totally unbiased. All their Fire Safety Assessors are retired London
Fire Brigade Fire Safety Officers and they are all qualified with the Institution
of Fire Engineers. Call now on 0781 8888626 and chat to one of their
friendly team alternatively click here.
