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Care home fire inquest
FAULTY fire walls that could have contained a care home blaze for up to 30 minutes created a ‘blowtorch effect’, an inquest heard.
Frail pensioner Dorothy Robinson, 89, died after suffering horrific burns in the blaze at St David’s nursing home in Lord Street, Redcar, on August 20, 2004.
Yesterday, Redcar Fire Station crew manager Alex Race said two walls designed to prevent the spread of fire had holes in them that would have acted like a blowtorch as pressure built up behind them.
He said the barriers should have contained the fire for 30 minutes.
“We should have had time to fight the fire and evacuate the area but we were left with no time and had to do one or the other so obviously we evacuated the residents,” he said.
Mr Race said the fire barriers did not stretch to the apex of the roof, as they should have, and one had a metre wide triangle-shaped hole in it. He said the inadequate fire protection allowed the fire to attack roof beams more readily.
As the roof started to collapse he ordered the care home staff, police and paramedics to get out for their own safety as they were not wearing hard hats.
No roll call had been done when firefighters arrived so they did not know how many people were still in the building or which areas had not been cleared.
And he said when a room was locked it took up to ten minutes to discover whether there was anyone in it.
“I think any form of orderly evacuation would have been impossible,” he said.
The inquest also heard that firefighters received no information about residents with mobility problems and despite a direct request to care home manager Jacqueline Elliot, staff did not carry out a roll call until almost an hour after the 999 call was made.
When a head count was taken, firefighters were initially told everyone was accounted for.
But it was later discovered that Mrs Robinson and another resident, Brian Jones, were missing. Mr Jones, who was found in his armchair, was treated for smoke inhalation but survived.
Mrs Robinson died in hospital the next day.
The case is Proceeding
18 rescued in nursing home blaze
Firefighters have rescued 18 elderly residents, including a 104-year-old, from at a nursing home near Portadown.
The blaze broke out in the kitchen of the Rathowen Nursing Home at about 2245 BST on Thursday 21st September 2006.
ter Walter Johnston said most of the residents were still in bed when they arrived to discover a "fairly extensive" fire.
"We were able to rescue all the residents and confine the fire to the kitchen area," he said.
Mr Johnston, group commander of the southern area, said firefighters arrived within 10 minutes of being called.
"If we didn't get there when we did, there was a risk of casualties."
He said it was caused by an electrical fault.
Nursing home evacuated after fire
One person was taken to hospital as 14 residents were evacuated from a nursing home in Llanelli during a fire.
Firefighters were called to the St Elli Home in Queen Victoria Road at 0400 BST on Thursday August 17th 2006 after a fire broke out in a first floor airing cupboard.
Social services rehoused the residents, three of which were bed-bound, at an alternative home in the town.
The Mid and West Wales Fire Service said the first floor was smoked damaged and the cause was being investigated.
Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus helped evacuate the residents and the fire was extinguished just after 0500 BST.
'Smoothly and efficiently'
Commanding officer, John Fitzjohn, said: "Fire crews and nursing staff worked on the main priority of ensuring the safety of all residents.
"Breathing apparatus crews moved quickly and effectively to extinguish the fire and ventilate the premises."
The man taken to hospital was suffering from smoke inhalation.
Care home residents escape fire
Firefighters helped a number of elderly people to safety after a fire broke out at their nursing home in Somerset.
Crews were called to The Hollies in Florida Street, Castle Cary, early on Monday 13th February 2006 after fire alarms went off in the home.
There were concerns that six bed-ridden residents on the ground floor were trapped, but all were taken to safety.
It is believed the fire started in an electrical box and mainly affected the ground floor.
Electrical fault started fire
A LEADING investigator in the Rosepark care-home fire yesterday confirmed the blaze which killed 14 elderly residents on 31 January was caused by an electrical fault.
Chief Superintendent Tom Buchan said that although investigators were convinced an electrical problem was to blame, it was not yet clear how the fault occurred.
Investigations are focusing on the wiring to a fuse box inside a cupboard which had been used to store linens, hot water bottles, books and games.
A source close to the investigation also said the Lanarkshire home’s fire-alarm system had been verified as working correctly at the time of the blaze. The source said: "The alarm system was working properly and it may be that the first indication of the fire was in a more sensitive area and picked up quicker than elsewhere. No-one knows the direction of the heat of the fire at that time."
Mr Buchan said the electrical malfunction occurred in a store cupboard in the corridor where the victims slept, some with their doors left open.
Ten of the residents died from smoke inhalation as they lay asleep and four others, also overcome by smoke, died in hospital within two days.
Isabel Queen, the nurse in charge of Rosepark on the night of the fire, had said that when the alarm went off, the fire board indicated it was located in an area near the ground floor main entrance. However, there was no fire there and after checking rooms nearby, she returned to turn the alarm off.
It immediately sounded again, this time indicating the other end of the building - on the same level. On arriving there, Ms Queen and a colleague were beaten back by dense smoke in the corridor where the cupboard was on fire.
Mr Buchan said: "We have completed a report for the procurator fiscal and at this stage I can say that, although inquiries are continuing, we are satisfied that the fire was caused by an electrical fault in a storage cupboard on the floor where the victims slept. We are now attempting to determine with certainty the exact nature of that electrical fault."
Rosepark - Doors call in fire safety inquiry
Care home bosses should identify which doors in their properties should be kept closed to avoid any spread of smoke and fire, according to a report.
The recommendation has been included in further advice issued following the Rosepark fire in Uddingston last year.
Ten people died at the home and a further four died in hospital.
The chief inspector of fire services and the Care Commission said fire safety risk assessments should be carried out.
A review of safety in Scotland's care homes was launched after the fire at the home on 31 January last year.
Emergency crews who attended the blaze said an "intense" fire broke out in a top floor cupboard in the home and generated a lot of smoke.
Easy access
Chief Inspector of Fire Services, Jeff Ord, said: "A recent research report which will be published within the next few weeks confirms the importance of doors being kept closed to prevent the spread of smoke and fire.
"A fire safety risk assessment undertaken by the owner/occupier of a residential care home will identify those doors which should be kept closed.
"Automatic self-closing devices should normally be fitted to these doors."
He added: "The choice of self closer type is important since some are not appropriate in a care home for older people or people with disabilities and advice should be sought from the local fire and rescue service."
Mr Ord stressed that all residents must have easy access to call systems at night, particularly those who need extra reassurance or assistance.
He said that some residents would be more agreeable to having their doors closed at night if they knew help was easily at hand should they need it.
Jacquie Roberts, the chief executive of the Care Commission, said every resident should have a personal care plan which balances care and support needs with other priorities including safety.
She said: "The views of the individual and their carers should be taken into account when the personal plan is developed.
"Care providers and managers in care homes must adopt a sensible and proportionate approach, which is based on managing risk and balancing safety with the needs, rights and choices of the service users."
An safety assessment of all of Scotland's 1,800 care homes was announced after last January's blaze.
Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson said: "As we approach the first anniversary of the tragic events which took place at the Rosepark Care Home last year, it is vital that we continue to take all appropriate steps to further protect older and vulnerable people from the dangers of fire."
A report on the fire has been handed to the Crown Office and officials will decide if any legal action should be taken.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/scotland/4215317.stm
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