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350 people left homeless in Cape Town, South Africa, following fire

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350 people left homeless in Cape Town, South Africa, following fire On the 12th February, a firefighter was attacked in the early hours of the morning as he was fighting a fire that impacted 95 homes in an informal settlement in Hout Bay, Cape Town, South Africa. 350 people were displaced as a result of the fire that erupted in Mandela Park, according to Cape Town Fire and Rescue spokesperson Theo Layne. Layne also said that as one of the firefighters was doing his best to extinguish the blaze, he sustained injuries to his shoulder after a member of the community attacked him. “Fire is now contained. 20 Firefighting vehicles (10 fire engines and 10 water tankers). More than 70 firefighters on scene. No injuries reported from the public‚” Layne said in an early morning text update. “Cause of the fire not established as yet. Crew will remain on scene for some considerable time carrying out mopping up operations.” The disaster risk management unit assessed the nature of the damage later on the 12th February.

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Coach catches fire on the M1 just outside Belfast, Northern Ireland

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Coach catches fire on the M1 just outside Belfast, Northern Ireland On the 10th February, a privately owned coach with 20 passengers on-board caught fire on the M1, with the coach heading into Belfast. The incident occurred at junction two, Stockman’s Lane, after a fire broke out in the engine compartment. The vehicle was rapidly evacuated and there were no reports of any injuries in the immediate aftermath, and three fire appliances were deployed to the scene.

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ASEAN forest fires set to be monitored by UK satellites

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ASEAN forest fires set to be monitored by UK satellites In order to help countries in Asia tackle – amongst other things such as illegal fishing and dengue – forest fires, the UK Space Agency will use satellite imagery and earth observation data to assist the continent. The agency works with governments from all corners of the globe through its International Partnership Programme, and seeks to improve disaster response of infectious disease management, as examples. The agency will use their satellites to map dry peat conditions in Malaysia and Indonesia, due to the fact that forest fires frequently occur over drained peatland areas. With data on water levels in the peatlands, authorise will be able to make decisions to mitigate the risk of fires. £11m ($15.3m) has been put aside by the agency for this project and two others, though they will be finding 10 projects in total, which will amount to £38m ($52.9m). “The UK Space Agency’s International Partnership Programme will help developing countries tackle big issues like disaster relief and disease control, while showcasing the services and technology on offer from our leading space businesses,” UK Minister for Universities, Science, Research & Innovation Sam Gyimah said in a statement.

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Ferrara announces Lone Star Emergency Group as the new dealer in Texas

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Ferrara announces Lone Star Emergency Group as the new dealer in Texas Ferrara, a leading manufacturer of custom built, heavy duty fire apparatus, welcomes Lone Star Emergency Group as their new dealer for Texas. With service centers in Dallas and Houston, Lone Star Emergency Group is ready to meet the fire apparatus sales and service needs in Texas. Lone Star Emergency Group currently offers the following: 30,000-square-foot service center in Houston 20,0000-square-foot service center in Dallas 10 mobile service units providing 24-hour service 14 Emergency Vehicle Technician certified mechanics Services including annual pump testing; pump, foam system and valve repairs and maintenance; electrical diagnostics and repair; equipment mounting; emergency light and siren installations; mobile fit testing; and mobile air pack maintenance Majority ownership of Lone Star belongs to Major League Baseball All-Star Todd Helton, who played first base for the Colorado Rockies for 17 years. Brad Fullington serves as CEO. “The primary reason Lone Star is investing in the state of Texas and the fire truck industry is because we see a huge opportunity to not only sell fire trucks, but to take care of our customers with service like they’ve never seen before,” said Lone Star CEO, Brad Fullington. “Our five star service guarantee is going to revolutionize fire truck service across the state of Texas.” Lone Star will be bringing technicians from Ferrara to create a seamless service transition for Ferrara’s existing Texas customers.  “The Texas market has been a key piece in Ferrara’s overall success and we are ecstatic to be united with Lone Star Emergency Group,” said Jason Louque, Director of Sales at Ferrara. “The team concept Ferrara and Lone Star both believe in will help ensure our heavy duty fire trucks reach and serve the fire departments of Texas for a very long time.”

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Cause of London Zoo fire remains unknown ahead of annual stocktake

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Cause of London Zoo fire remains unknown ahead of annual stocktake As the yearly stocktake gets underway at the London Zoo, the cause of a fire which devastated the zoo just before Christmas 2017 is still unknown. 70 firefighters were deployed to tackle the fire, which left nine people injured and also killed four meerkats and an aardvark on the 23rd December. As such, the annual stocktake of the 19,000 animals was delayed by over a month. Speaking about the fire, Mark Haben – the zoo manager – was very frank in his response, but claimed that it was “early days, we don’t know the cause of the fire”. An investigation is ongoing. Haben did stress though that the incident had brought all the staff members at the zoo together ahead of preparation for the new breeding season. The zoo formally reopened a day later on Christmas Eve, however the stocktake – which was pencilled in the diary to take place on the 2nd January – was pushed back in order to “get more staff involved” and to give the zoo more time to plan.

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13 fires a day in the UK are down to faulty and recalled electrical goods

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13 fires a day in the UK are down to faulty and recalled electrical goods A new study conducted by Electrical Safety First in the UK has found that faulty electrical goods are responsible for a staggering 13 fires a day. There were 4,732 incidents in 2017 that were caused by damaged and recalled white goods, which resulted in a number of casualties, and in some cases, deaths. The damning report also stated that despite product recalls, there are three people in 10 who are continuing to use items which they know full well are dangerous. Phil Buckle, who works for the charity behind the study, claims they are urging people all over the nation to register their products so they can check for themselves. “We’re urging people to protect themselves by always ­registering their products,” Buckle said. “It only takes a few minutes and will give you peace of mind.” Registering electrical items is very easy and can be done by either filling in the form on the Register My Appliance website, or by following the instructions that are supplied with the product. There have been 516 recall notices issued for electrical good within the UK since 2007, however, only 10 to 20% of faulty goods are actually returned or repaired, meaning there are potentially millions of appliances deemed as dangerous lingering in people’s homes.

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Fire near Pudsey industrial site in Leeds, UK causes havoc as 20 homes are evacuated

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Fire near Pudsey industrial site in Leeds, UK causes havoc as 20 homes are evacuated A major fire at an industrial site in Leeds, UK saw 20 homes evacuated overnight on the 6th February. At the height of the fire, 15 fire engines were called to the blaze, which was at Moulds Patterns and Models on Kent Road in the Pudsey region of Leeds around 22:00. Moulds Patterns and Models make bathroom suites, and it’s believed that there were some hazardous materials still inside the premises. No-one was injured as a result of the blaze, however, West Yorkshire Police put a cordon in place and road closures remained in place for a fair while after. Water supplies were also affected in the area due to the amount the fire service needed to tackle the blaze. The fire service stated that seven fire engines were left on the site in the aftermath of the fire, while investigations are – at time of writing – underway to find out the cause of the fire.

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Main cause of fires in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2017 revealed to be short circuits

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Main cause of fires in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2017 revealed to be short circuits According to the Jakarta Fire and Rescue Agency, short circuits were the main cause of fires in the Indonesian capital during 2017. According to data generated by the agency, out of the 1,471 fires that broke out in 2017, 924 of them were due to electrical short circuits. “The majority of our society is not fully aware of how to use electricity safely,” said the agency’s spokesperson, Saepuloh. One example of this, as mentioned by Saepuloh, was that a number of people used one power outlet for a host of electronically devices, which leads to a short circuit. In the capital last year, the 1,471 fires burned 505 buildings, 109 vehicles and 209 stores amongst other notable things, which resulted in material losses of around Rp 475bn ($33.2m US). Saepuloh also encouraged Jakarta residents to periodically check electrical connections at their houses, as this can avoid potential fires.

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Mutual aid policy changed at the fire department of New York village, Deferiet

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Mutual aid policy changed at the fire department of New York village, Deferiet The New York village of Deferiet has undergone some changes recently, as following long-term Fire Chief Timothy Irey resigning in November, Douglas Babcock – the First Assistant Chief – was pushed up to be chief of the Deferiet Volunteer Fire Department. The whole leadership picture could change in the aftermath of the department’s elections, which take place in March, but for now, Babcock is ensuring he works hard to improve the department and to get more numbers in. “We’re still here and moving forward,” said the chief. In order to better serve the community, the department has taken the decision to – in coordination with the town of Wilna and the Carthage-Wilna Fire District – change their mutual aid policy. As a result of the changes, Great Bend, Natural Bridge and the Carthage-Wilna Fire District will all be contacted on the first alarm for fires in Deferiet and Herrings. “It’s easier to turn them around than not to have them,” said Chief Babcock. In addition, Babcock has said that the fire department has around 20 members, of which six are qualified as interior firefighters, while there are seven who are ‘cross-trained’ as emergency medical technicians and firefighters. “I don’t know of any department which is not looking for new members,” he said.

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Students in India put through ‘trial by fire’ by principal

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Students in India put through ‘trial by fire’ by principal A school principal in India has had a complaint lodged against her by police, after she allegedly forced 13 pupils to hold their hands over a lit candle. Sushanti Hembrom, the headteacher, was trying to find out if one of the nine-year-old pupils had stolen money from a fellow classmate. The incident took place on the 31st January in a private school located in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand. The following day, Ms Hembrom was suspended following a series of complaints from parents. The BBC were told by police that the teacher thought the guilty student would step forward and confess out of fear – however, all of the students did as they were told and put their hands over the fire. Some of the students pulled away immediately, but seven sustained burns, and at least one pupil – whose hand Ms Hembrom supposedly held over the flame – had to go to hospital after being injured badly, before being discharged on the 1st February. Police also claim that Ms Hembrom – who subsequently admitted what happened – said that she made a “big mistake” and then apologised to the students in question and their parents.

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