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Two Care Home Fires with Very Different Outcomes |
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Local media report that a man died in a fire in the Priory Grange care home in Potters Bar, north of London, on 22 November. The residential care home has 81 residents with mental or physical disabilities.
The fire started in a fourth floor apartment. Hertfordshire Fire &
Rescue were called at 11.29 and responded with 8 appliances. They had
extinguished the fire by 12:20. Over 100 residents and staff were
evacuated. A 29 year old man died and a 40 year old woman was taken to
hospital suffering from smoke inhalation. 24 other people were treated
by ambulance staff at the scene. Social services had to find
alternative accommodation for the residents. There were no sprinklers
installed in the care home.
Two days later on 24 November a fire started in a care home in Shepton
Mallet in Somerset, southwest England. An oil-filled radiator had
caught fire. When firefighters arrived on the scene they found that the
sprinkler system had activated. The fire was contained by the sprinkler
system and nobody was hurt.
England and Wales are considering the introduction of a requirement to
fit sprinklers in care homes, following the lead taken by Scotland.
These two incidents once again prove the benefits of sprinklers.
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