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Family-run furniture and textile factory in Andover destroyed by blaze

22 May 2023

RECENTLY, FIREFIGHTERS were called to a large fire at an unsprinklered warehouse in Andover. The devastating blaze tore through the premises of the family-owned furniture business and that belonging to a neighbouring tenant on what is a busy industrial estate.

The fire at Dormy House, which took hold on the morning of 13 March, required 100 firefighters, 12 appliances and specialist equipment including aerial ladder platforms and high-volume pumps from Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service and neighbouring counties to tackle the blaze.

Plumes of toxic black smoke spread over this congested area. The Fire and Rescue Service reported that 90% of the decade-old building was destroyed by the fire which also spread to Urban Retreat, a cosmetics and perfume mail order business located next door.

Thankfully, workers escaped unharmed, but considerable resources had to be used by the Fire and Rescue Service to control the fire. The impact on the local community and environment was significant with local road closures, residents forced to keep their windows and doors closed due to harmful smoke and a number of measures employed to minimise the impact of pollution in terms of the local environment.

The disposal of the completely destroyed 3,500 m2 building will cause an adverse environmental impact, while the materials and resources required to repair and rebuild it will incur significant financial costs.

History lesson

Dormy House is a family-run furniture making and textile business which has had a successful 42 years of trading, having started life in the company founder’s garage. Sadly, history often shows that fire can exert a negative impact on businesses, who then need to recover from the effect of the blaze.

In the worse case scenario, the ultimate effect of fire is closure of the business involved. Urban Retreat posted on its website to say: “Due to this massive loss of inventory, we will not be able to fulfil current orders.”

It’s interesting to note that this fire took place in a modestly-sized building. The Fire and Rescue Service worked hard to protect surrounding properties, yet the intervention of 100 firefighters and the implementation of their available resources could not halt the blaze. Industrial fires impact far larger premises with similar results and with potentially larger impacts.

Combination of strategies

Preventing large and costly fires is possible through a combination of strategies. One of the most effective methods is the use of sprinkler systems, which contain and control fires before the Fire and Rescue Service arrives at scene.

Sprinkler systems minimise the wider impact of unmanageable fires, reducing costs to business and the economy as a whole.

Importantly, by limiting any fire damage, they also allow businesses to resume operations quickly, and often within hours of the fire episode taking place.

*Further information about the work of the Business Sprinkler Alliance is available online at www.business-sprinkler-alliance.org

 
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