Four businesses have been destroyed by fire after a blaze in a disused cattle market. The major fire forced the evacuation of hundreds of animals stored in a pet shop. Around 100 firefighters attended the scene on Sunday evening. Low water pressure hampered their efforts.

Fire safety experts say the event highlights the need for owners of businesses to consider who their neighbours are. Disused, derelict or old buildings are vulnerable to fire, meaning those nearby need to consider additional fire safety measures, including the installation of automatic sprinklers and sprinkler tanks. In this case, the fire spread and caused gas cylinders to explode.

 

Businesses and fire safety

It is reported that 200 reptiles were evacuated from a retail outlet and that a bedding shop was gutted in the fire. Four businesses are said to have been either reduced to ashes or ‘badly affected’, including an army surplus shop and a fruit wholesaler.

Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service has admitted it faced “a real challenge”. It has cited limited water supply at the scene of the fire as one of the challenges. It has also pointed out the close proximity of the buildings to the former cattle market.

A spokesman is reported as saying: “The buildings are close together and it was a dynamic situation. Because of the amount of material involved in the buildings, we had problems with the water pressure from the fire hydrants and had to use a high pressure pump to get water from the canal.”

 

Businesses urged to beef up fire safety

Nationwide Water Solutions says lack of water because of low pressure is not uncommon. “People expect the fire service to turn up and have a ready supply of water,” a spokesman said. “In the case of a very large fire like this, firefighters may not be able to readily access water in the quantities they need because of things like low water pressure.

“We advise all businesses, particularly those close to a vulnerable site, to install automatic sprinklers and a sprinkler tank. You will have water on standby 24/7. In the early stages of a fire, it will keep the blaze in check and give people time to evacuate a building and reduce damage. Importantly, it can suppress flames and help to stop them from spreading to things like highly-flammable gas cylinders.”

Nationwide Water Solutions is the UK’s leading independent supplier of sprinkler tanks. Businesses concerned about fire safety can benefit from a free site survey. For further information, visit Nationwide Water Solutions.

 

• Please note: The image used is for illustration purposes only and does not purport to depict the fire outlined in this article.