BAFSA FOCUS NOVEMBER 2021
The devastating impact of a fire B A F S A’ S S P R I N K L E R A M B A S S A D O R N I C K CO L E S H I L L R E F L E C T S HOW LIVES ARE AFFECTED FOLLOWING A FIRE.
every year detailed analysis of fires attended by fire and rescue services (FRS) in England are published by the Home Office. For the year ending March 2021 FRSs attended 518,263 incidents, of these incidents, there were 151,086 fires. What the above figures don’t tell us is the impact at grass roots level of a fire on families, residents following a devasting fire to their home. One such incident that caught my attention involved a house fire reported by The Thornton Heath Chronicle, involving a 2-storey detached house occupied by a family of 7 including 6 Children. The Cause of the fire was due to a candle. Yes, the reporter identified the damage sustained by the fire to the property, including the kitchen and half of the hallway destroyed by the fire with considerable smoke damage throughout the rest of the property making the property uninhabitable. 10 | ba f sa .o r g .u k
However, the feature focused predominately on the devastating impact of the fire on the family, which is often overlooked, specifically the impact on the children following the incident. It was reported that the family were rehoused in a small flat consisting of one double bedroom, two singles, and a pullout bed resulting in two children having to sleep on the floor. The negative effect on the children’s education productivity levels due to the family’s temporary accommodation located remote from their school. All personal possessions destroyed by the fire resulting in appeals from the local community for replacement school uniforms, clothes, essential items. Due to the financial impact on the family, just giving crowd funding appeal was launched on Facebook. The outcome could have been so different if sprinklers had been fitted, the publication,
94% SPRINKLER EFFECTIVENESS
99% SPRINKLER EFFICIENCY
IN EXTINGUISHING OR CONTROLLING A FIRE
