Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government figures highlight that 129 firefighters were injured in attacks in England in the year ending March 2025. That’s a 34% increase on the 96 incidents recorded in the previous year. In addition, 13 firefighters suffered serious injuries requiring a hospital stay.

The Government figures also reveal that there were 933 incidents involving attacks on firefighters in England in 2024-2025. Although this figure was slightly lower than for the previous year, attacks remain significantly higher (61%) than a decade ago, when 578 incidents were recorded.

The majority of incidents were categorised as verbal abuse, but attacks on firefighters can also involve physical violence, threatening behaviour and objects being thrown at crews while they’re responding to emergencies.

This serious issue extends beyond England. Figures from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service show that attacks on members of staff rose by 30% in 2025-2026 (from 59 to 77 incidents) and included 16 physical attacks and 20 attacks on property and equipment.

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) is highlighting the impact that violence and abuse can have on firefighters and the communities they serve as Fire and Rescue Services enter a period of increased demand associated with Bonfire Night and other seasonal events.

Treating firefighters with respect

NFCC chair Phil Garrigan said: “Firefighters put themselves on the line to protect others, as they demonstrated during the busiest wildfire season on record. They should never face violence or abuse from the people they are there to help.”

Garrigan continued: “Behind every uniform is a person. Firefighters are mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, friends, neighbours and members of the communities they serve. They return home to their families after every shift just like anyone else.”

Further, Garrigan observed: “Every attack on a firefighter is unacceptable. As well as putting individual firefighters at risk of harm, it can affect their ability to respond effectively and protect the communities that rely on them.”

In conclusion, Garrigan explained: “As we enter a busy period, we’re asking everyone to treat firefighters with the respect they deserve so that they can continue to keep people safe.”

Misuse of fireworks

Alongside raising awareness of the dangers of attacks on firefighters, the NFCC has also supported measures aimed at reducing the misuse of fireworks.

In the organisation’s recent response to a Government consultation on fireworks and pyrotechnics, the NFCC backed tighter restrictions on the sale of certain higher-risk fireworks to members of the public, including rockets and other projectile fireworks.

These measures could help to reduce the number of attacks perpetrated on emergency workers, deliberate fire-setting and anti-social behaviour, while also allowing people to continue enjoying fireworks responsibly and through professionally organised displays.

*Further information is available online at www.nfcc.org.uk

Established under the Building Safety Act 2022, the Building Advisory Committee (BAC) puts residents’ safety and confidence at the heart of its advice. It provides independent advice and information to the Building Safety Regulator, helping to ensure robust evidence and critical thinking inform policy decisions that protect people and improve building safety standards.

The cross-sector insight that’s energised also aims to anticipate emerging risks, enable safe innovation and provide detailed technical support for a safer, more equitable and sustainable built environment.

The planned recruitment will broaden expertise and refresh membership as both the Building Safety Regulator and building safety itself evolve. It’s an opportunity to contribute independent advice, systems thinking and equitable and innovative protection methods to the work of the BAC. 

Vital source of information

Currently chaired by Dr Barbara Lane (who has nearly 30 years’ worth of experience in engineering and building safety and served as an expert witness during the Grenfell Tower Inquiry), the BAC is committed to strengthening its role as a vital source of information.

To expand and support work of the BAC, applications are being sought from a variety of different sectors including academia, design, construction, fire safety, housing, risk management and safety and regulatory spheres.

The BAC will provide evidence, advice and information from across the built environment, reflecting the whole building lifecycle and the broad range of disciplines and trades upon which effective safety and risk management relies.  

The BAC is now seeking dynamic individuals who can help shape its future work and contribute towards improving outcomes across the built environment through independent advice, insight and constructive challenge. 

About the roles

The Building Safety Regulator is currently looking to fill the following positions on the BAC:

Academic (built environment) Contributing expertise derived from leading education and research programmes relevant to the built environment sector and providing evidence-based insight into issues affecting the safety, sustainability and performance of the built environment

Building contractor (construction) Contributing expertise in the delivery of residential and commercial construction projects (including new-build, refurbishment and remediation works)

Building control (private) Contributing expertise from a registered building inspector operating within a Registered Building Control Approver

Building services engineer Contributing expertise in the design, performance and operation of building services that support safe, comfortable and sustainable indoor environments

Construction industry practitioner (supply chain) Contributing expertise in the construction industry supply chain (including collaborative supply chain leadership, sector growth and stakeholder engagement)

Fire safety specialist Contributing practitioner expertise in fire safety risks, resilience and engineering practice

Inclusive design (accessibility and inclusive design practitioner) Contributing expertise in accessibility and inclusive design across the built environment

Local authority housing provider Contributing expertise in the provision and management of local authority housing, including higher-risk buildings

Private sector higher-risk buildings representative Contributing expertise from the occupied private higher-risk building sector, including the commercial, investment and development considerations that shape the management of private residential assets

Public sector registered building inspector (Class 3H) Contributing expertise from a registered building inspector operating within a local authority Building Control function

Risk expert: organisational/large scale (risk management professional) Contributing expertise in the identification, assessment and management of organisational, systemic and large-scale safety risks across the built environment 

Structural safety specialist Contributing expertise in structural risk, resilience and engineering practice

BAC members will be appointed for three years and can expect a time commitment of 15 days per annum. These are voluntary roles, but incurred expenses will be reimbursed.

Next phase of development

Dr Barbara Lane said: “The building safety landscape is continuing to evolve, bringing new challenges, opportunities and expectations of the construction industry. Joining the BAC offers a unique opportunity to contribute to work that’s of national importance and help shape the future of building safety.”

Further, Dr Lane stated: “Successful candidates will engage with experts from a broad range of disciplines, demonstrating the rigorous approach that drives well-founded independent advice. This will ensure better regulatory outcomes and improvements in safety for everyone in the built environment.” 

In conclusion, Dr Lane noted: “The urgent need for both new homes and for work to remediate defective homes requires a radical commitment to creating practical safety measures.”

Charlie Pugsley, acting CEO of the Building Safety Regulator, observed: “The BAC is both practical and influential and offers a unique opportunity to use professional expertise for real-world challenges and help shape the future of the built environment.”

Pugsley continued: “Building on the appointment of Dr Lane as the independent chair of the BAC, we are now looking for new members who will bring fresh thinking, deep expertise and constructive challenge to the fore.” 

Pugsley concluded: “This will help to support the Building Safety Regulator’s strategic aim of enabling the building of safe new homes, raising standards in existing homes and helping to create a culture where safety and accountability, as well as transparency, are part of everyday practice in the built environment.”

Photograph: Surrey Fire and Rescue Service/Health and Safety Executive (Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0)

The four subcontractors were working under the control of C Watkins Plumbing Limited to install an air source heat pump on the roof of the Old Telephone Exchange development in Staines-upon-Thames when the incident occurred on 26 July 2024.

Sparks from welding work ignited uncovered rigid foam insulation that had been laid across the roof. The self-sustaining fire developed quickly, duly spreading across the whole of the roof space before burning itself out when it ran out of fuel.

The four men escaped through a single opening in the floor and down a ladder to Level 14. There was no other way to exit the roof, no means of raising the alarm and no fire extinguishers were present on-site.

Investigation process

An investigation process conducted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that C Watkins Plumbing Limited had failed to plan, manage and monitor the ‘hot works’ that had been conducted on the roof of the building.

Despite the company having policies in place requiring them, there was no risk assessment or method statement in place and a ‘Permit to Work’ had not been issued for the welding.

The HSE’s dedicated guidance (ie HSG168 – Fire Safety in Construction) states that fire safety measures must be considered throughout all stages of design and procurement and implemented effectively during construction. Risk assessments must identify high-risk activities where fires can spread quickly and situations where evacuation plans are complex.

Further, all risk assessments and control measures must be reviewed throughout the construction phase to make sure they remain suitable and sufficient.

Guilty plea

On 29 October at Staines Magistrates’ Court, C Watkins Plumbing Limited (of Watkins House, Leigh Road, Haine Industrial Park, Ramsgate, Kent) pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 15(2) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015.

HSE inspector Stephanie Hickford-Smith said: “C Watkins Plumbing Limited failed to follow its own procedures for ‘hot works’. The company did not assess the risks and so had no control measures in place.”

Hickford-Smith added: “The four men working on the roof were lucky to escape. Had the fire started closer to their escape route, or had they not acted as quickly as they did, then the outcome could have been devastatingly different.”

This prosecution was brought forward by HSE senior enforcement lawyers James Towey and Laura Lax in addition to paralegal officer Farhat Basir.

*Further information is available online at www.hse.gov.uk

Scientists from the University of Hertfordshire’s School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science will provide expertise in thermodynamic analysis and simulation, structural design, heat transference modelling and optimised fire safety materials and engineering within a riser shaft. Ambar Kelly, which is based in Welwyn Garden City, produces a range of fire safety products for risers in multi-story buildings.

The ‘chimney effect’ is when hot gases, fire and smoke rise rapidly through vertical shafts in a building, spreading upwards, downwards and horizontally. In high-rise buildings, lift shafts, stairwells, service risers, cladding cavities and ductwork can act like chimneys if they’re not properly sealed, maintained, compartmentalised and fire-stopped. Every multi-storey building contains at least one riser (ie a vertical shaft for essential building services).  

Fire safety engineers and expert witness for the Grenfell Tower Inquiry examined fire routes and the impact of construction material combustibility on smoke and flame spread, identifying combustible materials around columns as a key factor in rapid fire spread.

Proven expertise  

Dr Antonios Kanellopoulos, director of the Centre for Engineering Research at the University of Hertfordshire, said: “This new partnership will leverage the University of Hertfordshire’s proven expertise in structural engineering, construction materials science and thermofluids for commercial problem-solving. The aim is to provide a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach in order to deliver a product which will provide a step change in terms of managing fire hazards within riser shafts.  

Dr Kanellopoulos added: “Long-term knowledge integration and future collaborative innovation will be at the core of the partnership as this state-of-the-art project evolves.”

In practice, Dr Kanellopoulos and his team use facilities including a high-performance computing cluster for advanced thermodynamic simulations and materials characterisation equipment and can facilitate structural testing procedures at elevated temperatures.

Poorly understood

Alex Bardett, managing director of Ambar Kelly, explained: “Currently, fire safety in riser shafts is poorly understood. The Grenfell Tower tragedy has precipitated the removal of combustible cladding from residential buildings, but riser shafts remain overlooked, despite their role in vertical fire spread.”  

Bardett continued: “This project will significantly advance fire safety in high-rise buildings by addressing critical gaps in current regulations. Ambar Kelly will gain advanced expertise in fire behaviour within riser shafts, particularly so the ‘chimney effect’, in turn positively influencing building safety standards.”  

Further, Bardett observed: “Through this approach, we will seek to focus on advanced fire simulation, materials, testing and manufacturing capabilities. We want to provide the industry with the skills, knowledge and products it needs to ensure that the conditions experienced at Grenfell Tower and elsewhere are never replicated again.”

Knowledge Transfer Partnership

The partnership between the University of Hertfordshire and Ambar Kelly is known as a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP). The former has already delivered more than 112 KTPs across diverse sectors (including electronics, digital health, agriculture, manufacturing and management science).  

Professor Tim Vorley OBE, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hertfordshire and lead executive for research and enterprise, commented: “This partnership demonstrates how university research can help to address real-world challenges with significant public benefit. By combining our expertise in engineering, materials science and advanced modelling with Ambar Kelly’s industry knowledge, we have an opportunity to tackle what is a critical, but often overlooked aspect of building safety.”

Vorley concluded: “The ultimate measure of success will be creating safer buildings and helping to prevent the kind of fire and smoke spread that has had such devastating consequences in the past. We’re proud to be working with an innovative Hertfordshire-based business on a project with the potential to deliver meaningful impact both locally and nationally.”

*Further information is available online at www.herts.ac.uk

On 8 October, Javaid (sole trader of Milan Pizza located at 15 Comberton Hill, Kidderminster DY10 1QG) appeared before the presiding Judge at Worcester Crown Court and pleaded guilty to two offences under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

The first offence related to repeated breaches of a Prohibition Notice issued by the Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service on 6 December 2024. The Prohibition Notice excluded the use of the upper floors of the premises due to the significant risk posed to life by the conditions present on-site.

The second offence related to an intentional obstruction of fire safety inspectors who were seeking to carry out their duties.

During sentencing, the Judge described the conditions within the premises as “extremely dangerous” and stated that, had a fire occurred, the risk posed to life would have been “very great indeed”.

Fire alarm system

Worcester Crown Court heard that the premises presented a “serious and sustained” risk to life. The fire alarm system had been deliberately tampered with and was not functioning correctly, with sounders removed and smoke detectors covered over, thereby significantly reducing the likelihood of occupants receiving any warning in the event of a fire.

Fire safety inspectors from the Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service also identified the absence of protected escape routes, locked final exits, inadequate firefighting equipment and numerous breaches in the building’s fire compartmentation creating conditions that would have allowed fire and smoke to spread rapidly throughout the premises.

The combined effect of these deficiencies meant that occupants would have had little or no opportunity to escape safely in the event of a fire outbreak. In sentencing, the Judge described the property as a “death trap”.

On sentencing, the presiding Judge noted that Javaid knowingly breached the Prohibition Notice, ignored repeated warnings, deliberately prevented fire safety officers from carrying out their statutory duties and placed occupants at grave risk in order to save money.

The Judge further stated that, had a fire occurred resulting in loss of life, the consequences could have been significantly more serious and that Javaid could have faced more serious charges (including manslaughter or murder).

Sentencing detail

For the offences that had been committed, Worcester Crown Court imposed the following sentence:

*12 months’ imprisonment for each offence, totalling two years’ imprisonment suspended for two years

*100 hours of unpaid work to be completed within 12 months

*fines totalling £15,000 (£7,500 for each offence)

*Hereford and Worcester Fire Authority prosecution costs of £11,458.70

*victim surcharge of £2,000

The total financial penalty issued amounted to £28,458.70.

Worcester Crown Court also made it clear that Javaid must work with the Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service to ensure compliance with fire safety requirements. The Judge warned that any further breaches could result in Javaid being returned to court and that he could face immediate imprisonment.

Not minor deficiencies

Group Commander Deborah Davies, head of the Protection Department at the Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service, commented: “This case clearly demonstrates the serious consequences of failing to comply with fire safety legislation and deliberately obstructing Fire and Rescue Service fire safety inspectors in the course of their duties.”

Davies continued: “The conditions found within the premises presented a high risk to life. The fire alarm system had been tampered with, escape routes were compromised and fundamental fire safety measures were either absent or otherwise defective. These were not minor deficiencies. They created conditions in which a fire could have had catastrophic consequences.”

Further, Davies noted: “We will always seek to work with business owners to achieve compliance and keep people safe. However, where individuals deliberately ignore legal requirements, place others at risk or seek to obstruct our officers from carrying out their duties, we will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action.”

In conclusion, Davies warned: “This prosecution should serve as a clear reminder that fire safety responsibilities are legal obligations, not optional requirements. Our priority will always be the protection of life and we remain committed to holding those who put others at risk to account.”

*Further information is available online at www.hwfire.org.uk

Operated by Capita, the Fire Service College combines state-of-the-art virtual reality (VR) technology with extensive live training facilities, thereby allowing firefighters and dedicated Emergency Services responders from the UK and allied nations to practice dealing with complex emergencies in realistic and controlled environments.

Capita’s 320-acre site includes ultra-realistic training structures such as a replica of the M96 motorway, a derailed train carriage and aircraft training frames. These facilities enable Emergency Services responders to practice their skills in scenarios designed to replicate the demands of real incidents: from transport-related emergencies through to complex fires and structural incidents.

The Fire Service College’s Immersive Skills Lab adds another dimension to this training by virtue of using VR technology to recreate challenging situations and allow trainees to develop their decision-making, situational awareness and incident management skills.

Given that the UK faces an evolving security environment, the Fire Service College is placing an increased emphasis on national resilience and preparedness. Capita and the Fire Service College have a key role to play in protecting RAF personnel and assets across 38 bases. Under the Defence Fire and Rescue Project, Capita supports Fire and Rescue Services and training across UK and overseas bases, working alongside dedicated RAF firefighters.

Skills, experience and confidence

Hume Jones, managing director for critical services at Capita, commented: “National resilience starts with preparation and that’s a major focus for us at the Fire Service College. Emergency Services responders need the skills, experience and confidence to make critical decisions under pressure. There’s a range of different challenges that they’re likely to face. For example, it could be a major transport incident, a complex fire or an emergency that’s affecting essential infrastructure.”

Jones continued: “Capita is proud that the Fire Service College brings together specialist instructors, realistic live training environments and innovative immersive technology to help individuals prepare for those challenges. As the threat landscape evolves, it’s vital that our civil Emergency Services and defence partners have opportunities to train together, develop their capabilities and strengthen their readiness.”

Since acquiring the Fire Service College from the Government back in 2013, Capita has invested in modernising its facilities and training programmes, including the introduction of VR technology to complement practical exercises.

*Further information is available online at www.fireservicecollege.ac.uk

The Insulation Manufacturers Association (IMA) is the Trade Association that represents both the polyisocyanurate (PIR) and polyurethane (PUR) insulation industry in the UK. The organisation’s constituent members manufacture rigid insulation that provides around 40% of the total thermal insulation market on home shores.

Recently, the IMA commissioned the Fire Protection Association to carry out two comparative fire tests on flat roof assemblies fitted with identical reinforced bituminous membranes and mounted PV arrays. One assembly used PIR insulation classified as combustible under EN 13501-1. The other used stone wool classified as being non-combustible.

Everything else in the build-up – including the roof deck, the membrane and the PV configuration – was kept identical so any difference in fire behaviour could be attributed to the insulation layer.

During the testing procedure, a propane burner was used to simulate a localised fire starting beneath one PV panel. The fire was allowed to develop freely for almost 22 minutes before being extinguished.

Test results: the reality

The results were clear. In both tests, fire performance across the roof was broadly similar. Neither form of insulation allowed fire to penetrate through its full depth, while the air and vapour control layer remained intact underneath both. If anything, the damaged surface area was smaller on the PIR assembly than on the stone wool configuration.

That result runs contrary to the instinct that a non-combustible product must always outperform a combustible one. It’s a difficult message to land as it sounds counterintuitive to argue that a combustible material can be just as fire safe as one that isn’t, but that instinct misunderstands what fire classification actually measures.

A given product’s performance in isolation tells you very little about how it behaves once fitted within a complete system alongside a membrane, a deck and everything above it. We accept this readily enough with timber, which burns, yet remains a trusted structural material due to how it’s designed and detailed within a building. The same logic applies to insulation beneath PV panels.

This isn’t an argument for complacency. Far from it, but empirical evidence must outweigh simple opinion. Fire safety in any roof build-up depends on making sure the whole system is right: from the deck up to the waterproofing and everything mounted above it.

Rather, it’s an argument against decisions that fixate on one material’s classification, while ignoring how that material actually performs once installed.

Policy built on assumption

This matters. Why? Policy is increasingly being shaped by exactly the assumption this form of testing challenges and can lead to poorer performing buildings overall. Proposals such as those within the Draft London Plan, which sets out a presumption against combustible materials in certain buildings, respond to public concern that’s understandable, but not always well founded.

A given building is required to perform in many different ways. Fire safety is only one category. For its part, system-level testing is a more reliable guide than material classification alone.

Rooftop PV installations are only going to become more common on flat roofs as decarbonisation targets begin to bite. That makes evidence from test procedures like that described above more valuable, not less.

Ultimately, it’s very much the case that architects, specifiers, insurers and regulators all need a system-level understanding of fire risk rather than relying on assumptions about individual materials.

Simon Storer is CEO of the Insulation Manufacturers Association (www.insulationmanufacturers.org.uk)

*Copies of the 12-page report ‘Fire Performance of Thermal Insulation Products in End-Use Conditions’ are available online

**The IMA’s membership comprises all of the major companies in the industry, including manufacturers of finished PIR and PUR insulation products as well as suppliers of raw materials and associated services. Importantly, the IMA represents the industry’s views across all Government and industry stakeholders and decision makers, while continually promoting a positive and dynamic business environment for the PIR and PUR insulation industry in the UK

The specialist skills required to conduct Tier 2 investigations are currently supported by the Level 5 Certificate in Fire Investigation. The latter is being updated, while a new vocational qualification is also in the pipeline.

The existing qualification is aimed at experienced fire investigation practitioners and is being reviewed in line with the National Fire Chiefs Council’s (NFCC) Competency Framework for Fire Investigation and the NFCC’s Fire Investigation Code of Practice.

The new Level 5 Award in Fire Investigation provides a grounding in the specialism and is the basis for progression to the Level 5 Certificate, which reflects a greater level of competence.

Both Level 5 qualifications offer a progression route from the Level 2 Introduction to Fire Investigation, which provides learners with the knowledge and skills to carry out Tier 1 fire investigations.

The expert Working Group has concluded the initial design phase of the qualifications. That being so, a public consultation is now underway in order to gather stakeholder feedback and ensure the qualifications align with current operational requirements across the sector.

Greater flexibility

Darren Woodhams (Station Commander at the London Fire Brigade) commented: “The introduction of the Level 5 Award alongside the existing Level 5 Certificate provides greater flexibility for learners and employers. By offering qualifications that support different professional development needs, employers can build capability across their workforce in a way that directly reflects operational roles and responsibilities.”

Woodhams added: “Together, they provide complementary routes for professional development, thereby enabling practitioners to tailor their learning to their responsibilities and future career goals.”

David Higham, managing director at SFJ Awards, responded: “Professional qualifications have a vital role to play in maintaining standards, supporting workforce development and ensuring specialist expertise can be recognised and demonstrated consistently across the sector.”

Higham continued: “Through the review of the existing qualification and the development of a new vocational pathway, we want to create a suite of qualifications that supports learners at different stages of their careers, while also reflecting the realities of modern fire investigation practice.”

In conclusion, Higham noted: “This work is being shaped by the sector, for the sector, and will help to ensure fire investigators have access to relevant and high-quality learning and assessment opportunities for years to come.”

Operational demand

The review process comes at a time when Fire and Rescue Services are responding to significant operational demand. In England alone, Fire and Rescue Services attended more than 641,000 incidents in the year ending March 2026, including over 170,000 fires, while the volume of deliberate fires increased to more than 71,000.

By reviewing the existing qualification and introducing a new vocational route that recognises competence developed in the workplace, the project will help Fire and Rescue Services build and maintain the specialist expertise needed to investigate fires effectively, identify causes and support the wider protection of communities.

*Interested parties can view details of the stakeholder consultation process online at sfjawards.com/consultation-sfj-awards-level-5-fire-investigation-qualifications/#consultation

Specifically, BS 9996 Commissioning and Maintenance of Integrated Fire Safety Systems – Code of Practice, which was issued for public comment on 21 October, outlines recommendations for:

*planning and executing the commissioning of active and passive fire safety systems, including integrated systems testing and verification of whole‑building performance

*arrangements for the planned inspection, testing and maintenance of those systems throughout the building’s life

*the interactions of design, specification, commissioning, verification, inspection and maintenance of fire safety systems

*managing information and change so that the installed fire safety measures remain effective, co-ordinated and underpinned by a clear audit trail.

BS 9996 provides recommendations for a process through which fire safety systems that interact with each other can be jointly commissioned and maintained and the processes involved recorded and documented for the complete lifecycle of a given building.

This British Standard is intended to be used by clients, designers, fire engineers, installers, commissioning agents, verifiers, facilities managers, maintainers, ‘Accountable Persons’, duty holders, Building Control bodies and personnel operating within the Fire and Rescue Services.

The consultation period closes on 6 January 2027.

*Further information is available online at www.bsigroup.com

In addition to the £100,000 fine, the company has been ordered to pay £15,000 in costs following the discovery of fire safety breaches at a property in Barrow-in-Furness, where a tenant suffered life-threatening injuries in a fire that occurred on 1 June 2023.

Copperplane Ltd, the owner of the premises, has been fined £10,000 and ordered to pay £5,000 in costs for failing to maintain the fire alarm and emergency lighting systems at the building.

Fire safety failings identified

Warren Spencer (managing director of Blackhurst Budd Solicitors), who prosecuted the case on behalf of the Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, told South Cumbria Magistrates’ Court that an inspection by the Fire and Rescue Service following the fire identified numerous fire safety breaches at the premises.

The doors to the flats did not provide 30 minutes’ worth of fire resistance and lacked self-closing devices, intumescent strips and smoke seals. In addition, they were fitted with two hinges rather than the required three.

There were no records demonstrating that the fire alarm and emergency lighting systems had been adequately maintained. Combustible wall cladding lined the hallway, which served as the main escape route, and there were no fire extinguishers present in the communal areas. The electrical intake units on the main escape route were not enclosed in fire-resistant material.

Spencer informed South Cumbria Magistrates’ Court that a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment would have alerted both the housing company and the landlord to deficiencies in the building’s fire precautions, but neither defendant had assessed the risks despite the premises being used to accommodate vulnerable residents.

Serious injuries, lasting consequences

In the wake of the fire, two men were airlifted to hospital with serious injuries, while a third male was taken to Furness General Hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.

Tenant Tony Shaw suffered burns to 39% of his face and body. Spencer told South Cumbria Magistrates’ Court that Shaw spent several weeks in intensive care on a ventilator and developed a number of infections. In fact, he remained in hospital for six months.

Shaw sustained significant permanent scarring including burns to his hands and arms. He now requires assistance from carers at home and has described the impact of the fire on his life as “devastating”.

Another visitor to the premises at the time of the fire was also airlifted to hospital with injuries.

Defending My Space Housing Solutions Ltd, Iain Simpkin KC told South Cumbria Magistrates’ Court that there had been a wholesale change in the management of the business since 2023. That change has led to a host of improvements, which will serve to best protect residents and others against any incident similar to the event that transpired.

Systemic failure

District Judge John McGarva said the breaches had exposed two tenants and their guests to significant risk. He described the management of the premises as falling far below the standard expected in the industry, which represented a systemic failure.

While acknowledging the important public service My Space Housing Solutions Ltd provided in helping to house homeless people, the Judge emphasised that fire safety breaches had very real consequences.

The Judge also said that Copperplane Ltd could not simply rely on assurances from My Space Housing Solutions Ltd: the landlord had failed to check for itself whether the premises complied with fire safety requirements.

*Further information is available online at www.firesafetylaw.co.uk