Journeys to and from London Waterloo station in the UK have been heavily disrupted after a trackside fire broke out on the 11th December, causing mass delays and many trains to be cancelled. ​ The fire meant that platforms one to three were out of service, with disruption lasting until the end of the day, to the point that South Western Railway (SWR) were advising passengers to not use their services. Track circuits on three lines were directly impacted by the fire, after it came into contact with a 650-volt cable. Network Rail understandably weighed in on the situation, and claimed that the cable fire – which in turn caused some damage to trackside equipment – was under investigation, and did its best to re-open the platforms affected as quickly as possible. The damage was so extensive that every driver had to seek out verbal approval before moving onto the next segment of the track, according to SWR, which is one of the reasons why there were so many delays, as this caused a massive backlog. SWR also made the point that their passengers are very much eligible for compensation as a result of this, however this will only apply if they were delayed by 15 minutes or more.

​Two upcoming Birmingham musicians have joined forces with fire alarm manufacturer, Fire Angel, to support their ‘Check the Date’ campaign with the launch of a charity single. Fire Angel’s ‘Check the Date’ encourages homes throughout the U.K. to check their smoke alarms every year. Smoke alarm sensors will degrade over time, leading to a reduced sensitivity in detecting heat or smoke. As a result, fire alarms need to be replaced every 10 years. The charity single, ‘Never Be Alone’ has been written and produced by Andy Lawrence Flynn, 32, and Dan Hodges, 34, and was recorded at Attic Music. When composing the song the duo wanted to create a song that reminded people that the smoke alarm is a guardian angel of the home. Speaking of the single launch Jess Pennington, Campaign Manager for Fire Angel, said; “The Check the Date campaign aims to make people aware of the importance of fire safety in the home, especially in the run up to Christmas when candles and decorative lights become more prevalent in the home. “Unfortunately a majority of burns incidents occur in the home but the risk of a fire incident can be dramatically reduced by regularly checking and replacing a fire alarm. In order for a smoke alarm to be certified to European safety standards, they need to have a replace by date on the alarm. “All funds from the single will go to the Children’s Burns Trust and we hope that the money raised will allow them to continue supporting victims of fire.” Alison Tweddle from The Children’s Burns Trust, said: “We are thrilled to be working with Andy, Dan and Fire Angel on this single. The success of our charity is dependent on the kind donations of people to ensure that we can offer burns survivors both rehabilitation and financial support, as well as helping us to raise awareness of the important messages around prevention and good first aid”. The single costs £0.99 and is available to download now from Spotify and iTunes and all proceeds will go to the charity –For more information on how to keep your home safe please visit; https://www.fireangel.co.uk/

The Thomas Fire wildfire in Southern California continues to cause havoc, and has now expanded to the point that an area larger than New York City has been scorched by the flames. So far, over 230,000 acres (930 square km) have been consumed by the blaze, which has mainly targeted the Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. What’s making the fire a huge force is that is is being fanned by incredibly strong winds, and has grown to the point that it has become the fifth largest wildfire in recorded state history, with the blaze growing by more than 50,000 acres a day. Understandably, residents who are in coastal beach communities have been ordered to leave by the relevant authorities. On the 10th December, it had been reported that firefighters had contained 15% of the fire, however they were forced to downgrade that to 10% as in the time they’d reported that, the fire continued to spread. Speaking about the fire, Santa Barbara County Sheriff, Bill Brown, highlighted the nature of the blaze, but also stated that there are high volumes of people working hard to extinguish it. “This is a menacing fire, certainly, but we have a lot of people working very diligently to bring it under control,”Brown said. Another significant factor for firefighters is that it isn’t just the dry winds which are causing issue, but due to the location and the mountainous terrain, it’s more difficult. Tim Chavez, an analysts for the California fire protection department, expanded on this and said that another huge reason why the emergency services are struggling is due to ‘a hot interior’ pretty much meeting the ocean, making access to the blaze very difficult. “It’s just a very difficult place to fight fire,” Chavez said. “It’s very dangerous and has a historical record of multiple fatalities occurring over the years.” By and large, the other fires which have hit California are under control, however 200,000 people have had to evacuate their homes and over 800 buildings have been completely destroyed since the fire broke out on the 4th December.

Mallaghan Engineering Limited ® was originally established as a civil engineering firm in the 1960’s. The company founded by Terry Mallaghan has since become one of the leading aviation industry suppliers in the airport ground support equipment sector; producing highly acclaimed GSE products to an ever-expanding global network of customers. As a renowned international force in the aviation GSE Industry with a vast and highly skilled workforce, Mallaghan’s world headquarters and manufacturing facility located in Dungannon Northern Ireland is a world-class premise’s that represents Mallaghan’s continued investment to foster business and industry growth, domestically and internationally. Never satisfied with the status quo, the ongoing expansion of development and manufacturing capabilities emphasises Mallaghan’s commitment to continually raise the benchmark for value and quality in our GSE products and associated services. The company maintains manufacturing facilities & headquarters in Northern Ireland with service & worldwide offices in locations in Berlin, Dubai, Singapore and USA. However, in early 2018 the company will proudly open its first international manufacturing facility in Atlanta, Georgia – to keep a pace of international demand in the Americas. The Dungannon headquarters features a dedicated research & development area committed to driving our innovative brand. Its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility boasts continuous-flow assembly lines, as well as hydraulic & electronic assemblies, metal fabrication and welding shops. Generous space is also devoted to shipping and receiving, a parts inventory warehouse, and quality assurance facilities. Our manufacturing facility implements Continuous-Flow Manufacturing (CFM) and Quality Improvement Programs (QIP), providing continuous product and process improvement. As an approved bodybuilding manufacturer, Mallaghan ® use only world-renowned chassis & sub-component suppliers such as Mercedes-Benz, Scania, Volvo, DAF, Iveco, US chassis Ford, International etc also key suppliers like Deutz, Thermo King and Carrier. Their portfolio today includes: Catering & Cabin Cleaning Trucks Motorised & Towable Passenger Stairs Toilet & Water Service Trucks Medical Lifts Airbus A380 GSE Range Bendi Belt / Baggage Handling Systems Maintenance Platforms & Rapid Delivery Vehicles De-icers Aircraft rescue stairs Mallaghan’s accounts include some of the world’s leading Airlines and Ground Handling Companies as prestigious clientele. All Mallaghan® products are tailored made to customer’s specific requirements. With elite expertise in the field of engineering sciences, Mallaghan® can ensure all equipment is at the fore of advanced technologies, and with a keen emphasis on environmentally friendly applications, this guarantees that the customer receives the best possible return on their investment. The complete Mallaghan product range conforms to all IATA regulations and EC Directives. The company is also ISO 9001:2008 certified and places a keen emphasis on complying with all external regulatory bodies associated with the manufacture of GSE products. This ensures verification of our equipment and peace of mind for our clients. For more information visit www.mallaghangse.com  

Firefighters in the Wolverhampton, England were called out for an unusual task, as they had to free an internet prankster after he cemented his head inside a microwave oven. The West Midlands Fire Service were called to a house in Fordhouses, located in Wolverhampton, and reported that it took them an hour to free 22-year-old YouTuber Jay Swingler from the device. The service said that Swingler’s friends had successfully managed to feed an air tube into his mouth, enabling him to breathe a bit easier. The Watch Commander, Shaun Darkin, was livid at the reckless nature of Swingler, as not only did crews from the technical rescue team have to assist in order to try and take the microwave apart, but had a more serious incident taken place while they were removing a cement filled microwave, they could’ve been prevented from doing so. Darkin also stated that Swingler “could quite easily have suffocated or have been seriously injured”. “He and a group of friends had mixed seven bags of Polyfilla which they then poured around his head, which was protected by a plastic bag inside the microwave,” Darkin said. “The oven was being used as a mould and wasn’t plugged in. The mixture quickly set hard and, by the time we were called, they’d already been trying to free him for an hour and a half. “It took us nearly an hour to free him. All of the group involved were very apologetic, but this was clearly a call-out which might have prevented us from helping someone else in genuine, accidental need.” Swingler’s friends spent an hour and a half trying to remove the microwave from his head before the fire crews turned up, with Swingler’s head being protected by a plastic bag inside the microwave.

Merseyside Fire Service have said that a huge blaze at a warehouse filled with paper has seen the building’s roof be destroyed. At around 15:00 on the 6th December, a fire broke out at an industrial unit located on Long Lane, in Aintree, and managed to cause an 800ft (245m) plume of smoke as a result. The fire service said that firefighters were on hand quickly to try and stop the fire spread to other buildings in the surrounding area. Thus far, there have been no injuries as a result of the blaze, and Long Lane itself was closed in both directions to allow firefighters to carry out their duties. At its height, there were 12 fire engines who were tackling the blaze, and residents were told to keep their windows and doors closed as a result of the smoke plume.

US media have reported that the rapidly moving fire in Southern California has managed to jump the main coastal highway and has now reached the Pacific Ocean, with firefighters still tackling the blaze. The fire has been truly devastating as its ploughed through Ventura County, north of Los Angeles, and has triggered evacuation orders for over 150,000 people, while 150 buildings have been left damaged. In addition, authorities are claiming that there are at least 12,000 structures that remain threatened by the blaze, while strong winds are set to further hamper efforts to try and extinguish the fire. Robert Welsbie, a spokesman for the Ventura fire department, is under no illusions as to the challenge they face. “We are still in the middle of an aggressive and active firefight on the ground,” Welsbie said. “If the winds pick up, we will face quite a challenge.” Fire officials provided an update on the situation and claimed that 250,000 homes are currently without power, while there is a growing feeling that many buildings will be destroyed. On the 6th December, it was revealed that the fire had managed to cross Highway 101 and make its way to the Solimar Beach area. Currently, the roads remain open there, however local officials have told motorists to take extra care. Over 1000 firefighters have been tackling the fires in the cities of Santa Paula and Venture, both of which are 70 miles (115km) north of Los Angeles. Emergency workers who were going house to house gave the residents of Venture and Santa Paula mandatory evacuation notices, while they also received this from their phones. So far, the fire has ripped through 55,000 acres (22,000 hectares) and continues to be fanned by the Santa Ana winds, while the low humidity is also playing a big part. Wind are set to remain strong throughout the week, and even reached 70mph (115km/h) on the 6th December.  

Seattle was hit by two fires at abandoned buildings on the 3rd and 4th of December, with a blaze taking place at the 8500 block of 15th Ave. NW on the 3rd, while a separate fire happened in Northwest Seattle in the early hours of the 4th. The crews that arrived at the 15th Avenue fire had to use ladder trucks to pipe water on the fire, while firefighters also had to cut through a fence around the property. The fence in question had only been recently installed to prevent squatters from entering the premises, according to KIRO 7. Due to the flames, traffic was shut down on 15th Avenue from 80th to 87th streets, with emergency crews being on hand at the scene to do their bit to try and put out the fire. While that was going on, another fire – in the 9500 block of Ashworth Avenue N. – emerged, with fire investigators delving into the situation to discover what happened. The fire was put out at 5:45am.