Fire crews from four counties required to control blaze in East Midlands

In the early hours of 25 April, fire crews from the Northampton Fire and Rescue Service were called to a major fire in a warehouse unit which housed two businesses. At the height of the fire, there were nine fire engines tackling the flames with appliances from Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire and Leicestershire also attending the scene.

The fire sent plumes of toxic black smoke across Corby. Despite the multi-agency response which thankfully prevented the fire from spreading to other buildings, the Fire and Rescue Services were unable to save the building. It was largely destroyed.

While staff escaped the blaze unharmed, the impact on the local community and environment was significant, with local road closures and a number of measures necessarily employed to minimise the impact of pollution in the local environment.

The multi-agency response and a significant number of firefighters and resources were unable to save this modestly-sized building, which had a footprint of no more than 2,000 m². The building did not have the benefit of an automatic sprinkler system. Given the impact of the fire, many readers would be surprised to learn that such buildings are not required to have them.

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.

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 allow businesses to resume operations quickly and often within hours of the incident.

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