A Holborn Office Caught Fire, Which Became Complex Due to the Layout of the Building

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.