Fires in Res Care Premises

[Guest]

A colleague of mine is carrying out research into fires in Residential Care homes. Apart from the infamous Fairfield and Rosepark home fires can anyone recall any other fires where there has been a loss of life however small but preferably fires that have involved more than 2 fatalities.
Many thanks

[wee brian]

You will have to go back quite a few years. If you dig out the fire stats you will see that they tend to go in ones and twos. A significant number of them involve accidental ignition of the casualty's clothing.

[iang]

Fernleigh Nursing Home in Leicester, Dec 1993. 2 fatal.

[GL]

thanks

[jasper]

Old Rectory Care Home in Gumfreston, Tenby where two residents died and The Care Standards Inspectorate for Wales are prosecuting the home's owners for five alleged breaches of regulations
Jasp

[Peter Wilkinson]

http://www.nfpa.org/itemDetail.asp?categoryID=444&itemID=18588&URL=Research%20&%20Reports/Fire%20investigations/Reports%20and%20summaries/Health%20care

Have a look at these investigation reports following fires in US nursing homes.

[Brian Downes]

I think there was a multi fatality fire in Sheffield? in the 70's, SCOLA type building. Wendsley Lodge?
The memory fades with age!!

[Jayjay]

Fairfield Home Fire 15 December 1974 18 fatalities. This was a CLASP constructed building.

Cause of fire recorded as smoking.

An official report was published By the DHSS in 1975

[Ray Smith]

Have attended the presentation done by the BRE in Scotland through Strathclyde Fire Brigade last September.
They had film footage of the reconstructed Rose Park care home.

They run tests without sprinklers and then installed to the draught standard DD:251 to see what effect it would have.

The cupboard in which the fire started was full of flammable cleaning products which made the fire very severe quickly. Some aerosol cans etc were going through the wall of the structure.

Also to note was that the door to the cupboard was not closed and slightly open which allowed the heat and smoke into the corridor. The fire never left the room and actually started to suffocate itslef.

Tempratures and smoke going round the corridor got to fatal levels very quickly.
Sprinklers were installed and placed in the corridor to see what effect on survivability would be.

The outcome showed a dramatic drop in temps and smoke within the corridor even though no heads were in the cupboard. It llooks like the majority of people if not all would possibly have survived.

[AndyF]

There was a serious RCP fire in Humberside a few years after Fairfields, the report is held in the library at the Fire Service College, sorry I do not have more details

[maverick]

Think some of the issues may be:

1 Most important of all if the alarms go off you must dial 999 immediately before you look to see if there is a a fire or not. This must be part of the owners written fire procedure and must be followed at all times. Failure to do so will be considered as reckless and negligent behaviour and would lead to prosecution.
2 Storage cupboards should not be situated off bedroom accommodation and must have integral fire detection and be kept locked shut at all times if not in use
3 Fire brigades must not charge for attendaning any fire alarm request, whether there is a fire or for a false alarm
4 swingfree doors as standard for all bedrooms
5 improved inspection of care homes by appointment of fire prevention officers to Care Commission (or a separate national fire service section just for care homes)
6 mandatory minimum training for night staff, owners and registered managers to deal with small fires/raising alarm/evacuation as well as other staff
7 Central fire alarm panels locate fires not just to an area but to the precise location ie exact room or cupboard

NB Installation of sprinklers should reduce insurance premiums substantially as did so in USA

[Thomson]

Mavrick, I see you have some information on the procedures and future plans into care home operations.  Can you expand any further on the information you posted?  Is this fact or just speculation?

[Thomson]

Ray,

I noticed you had been to the BRE presentation in Lanark where they showed footage of the Rosepark Care Home Fire.  Do you have any published information on this or can you point me in the right direction.  

Any information you can give would be helpful

[Brian Catton]

Wensley Lodge Hessle near Hull Humberside, 1979 I think. 11 fatalities. Alledgedly lit by a man called Bruce Lee who was detained at Her Majesty's pleasure.