Fire destroys roof structure and badly damages iconic Slough Bus Station

Image Credit: Google Earth 2022/Business Sprinkler Alliance

The fire broke out shortly before 2.00 am on 29 October, but when firefighters from the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service arrived to tackle the blaze within three minutes of the alarm having been raised, the roof canopy was already well alight. Thankfully, there were no reported injuries in the fire.

However, considerable resources – including an aerial ladder platform – were used by the Fire and Rescue Service to control the blaze, with crews remaining at the scene for over nine hours. It was later reported that one bus was completely destroyed as a result of the blaze, with three others damaged.

The fire-hit building is now closed for the foreseeable future, while the local police service has since opened an investigation over potential arson.

Impact on the community

The impact on the local community and environment has been significant with local road closures. In the wake of the fire, residents were forced to keep their windows and doors closed due to harmful smoke, while a number of measures have had to be employed to minimise the impact of pollution.

The diversion of bus services from this major interchange has resulted in additional pressures for Thames Valley Buses and inevitably caused a fair amount of disruption for passengers.

Tom Readings, Group manager at the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service, has explained how his team had to double the number of engines to extinguish the blaze. “The fire spread across the roof and was pretty extensive in scope,” commented Readings. “The building is badly damaged. Losing community infrastructure such as this is sad because it’s a really nice building that clearly cost a lot of money and is an essential travel hub for the local community.”

Built in 2011 as part of the £450 million ‘Heart of Slough’ project, and replacing a dark and unpleasant bus station and car park, the eye-catching highlight of the newer and more modern Slough Bus Station was its long span waveform roof.

Slough Bus Station was also built with sustainability in mind and designed to BREEAM ‘Very Good’ standards.

While the design itself has divided local opinion, there can be no doubt that the structure swiftly became a landmark in the town.

Devastating consequences of fire

Iain Cox, chair of the Business Sprinkler Alliance, noted: “When you look at the devastating consequences of fire, you begin to realise that a building’s sustainability does not account for its immunity to fire. Sadly, the aluminium and plastic construction elements were involved in the blaze at Slough Bus Station. It will now require significant rebuilding and the materials and resources required to do this will incur great financial costs.”

Fire is a likely event in the life of any building. As this episode highlights, it has an undeniable impact on sustainability through its economic, environmental and social impact on the community. Large and costly fires can be prevented through a combination of strategies. According to Cox, fire is an event in the life of a building that claims of sustainability should anticipate.

Further, Cox is adamant that one of the most effective methods to defend against such fires is the use of sprinkler systems which contain and control fires before the Fire and Rescue Service arrives. They therefore minimise the wider impact of unmanageable fires, reducing costs to business and the economy as a whole.

“Importantly,” concluded Cox, “by limiting any fire damage, sprinkler systems allow businesses and infrastructure to resume operations quickly, often within hours of the fire incident occurring.”