8/12/2012 Major Fire in London, UK

[firebuffkevin]

Major fire in a recycling plant.

Using over 30 pumps and 200 firefighters.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19236683

 

[firebuffkevin]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/huge-dagenham-recycling-factory-fire-1255426

 

[firebuffkevin]

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/smoke-from-biggest-blaze-in-years-drifts-towards-olympic-stadium-8036855.html

 

[svd385]

Last I heard the were up  to 45 pumps and finally gaining the upper hand.  No reports of injuries on the fire ground.

 

[londonfireguy]

This fire was on the opposite side of London to where i normally are stationed, and once again im on my days off for this one....I did hear that so many recources were required due to the deep seated nature of the fire, and rotation off firefghting crews due to hot and humid weather, and working conditions. Not necasarilly a massive fire, just a drain on recources.

JT

 

[truck4]

"The whole of the single storey recycling building, which is around 50 by 100 metres, is alight."

Love it.

 

[IRISH]

JT

Are you aware of any other incidents lately involving Waste Recycling Center's in the UK??

In Ireland we have had quiet a few major fires recently involving Waste Recycling center's. Its reported it criminal gangs at work in a "Soprano-esc turf war" as the waste industry has become quiet profitable 

 

[mack]

Rodent - you know how to pick your days off.  All the big fires in London occur on your days off.  The days of the London riots last year - you were off.  This major fire - you were off.  Maybe you be off all the time and the London Fire Brigade wouldn't have any more major fires.

 

[londonfireguy]

The riots was actually one of my night shifts, but i took it off for a BBQ!!! I was gutted!

We have had a very quiet spell recently, my shift had a spell of picking up all the fires at our station, the trend has now gone onto the other shifts.. It will eventually come back to us.

Two weeks ago i was sent standby ( detailed out) to another station south of the river, in south London, we never even got a call all night... My watch back at mynbase station.... Picked up two working fires, our second night shift.... I was back... We got nothing!!!

I also now work ems over here on my rota days off, and i also have the same affect on the ambulance i happen to be on..... We never get good gritty jobs... And last week my ambo went all shift without one call!!!

Murphys law perhaps... Who knows!!!!!??

JT

 

[londonfireguy]

JT

Are you aware of any other incidents lately involving Waste Recycling Center's in the UK??

In Ireland we have had quiet a few major fires recently involving Waste Recycling center's. Its reported it criminal gangs at work in a "Soprano-esc turf war" as the waste industry has become quiet profitable

Irish

Its the first recycling fire i know off in London at least, not sure if there is a trend elsewhere. Maybe its the start of a trend.i might actually get to see some yellow stuff!!

As soon as i do my next waltz with the red evil.... I will announce it here!!!

: )

JT

 

[BritishAndy]

I was told by a pal who works in control for the LFB (dispatch) that this fire was a confirmed Make Pumps 40 - which I guess is probably the same as a nine/ten alarm. Basically, in the UK its as big as it gets. They also had numerous special trucks including Command Units, aerial appliances and Hose Layers.

Andy

 

[londonfireguy]

I was told by a pal who works in control for the LFB (dispatch) that this fire was a confirmed Make Pumps 40 - which I guess is probably the same as a nine/ten alarm. Basically, in the UK its as big as it gets. They also had numerous special trucks including Command Units, aerial appliances and Hose Layers.

Andy

The problem is, we cant just rock up, put the wet stuff on the yellow stuff, pack up and go home anymore...

Everything has to be 'risk assessed' and talked about for 20 minutes before anything is done..and with the number of senior officers that turn up to fires nowadays its any wander we actually get anything done at all.

We end up with a situation where one officer in one sector commits a firefighting crew into a particular area, they start firefighting, make some progress, then another jobsworth officer who has absolutely f@&k all idea what day the week it is outside of his plush little office, let alone what tactics should best be used at an incident, comes along, is scared that one of us might get singed which could ruin his career prospects sharpening pencils and ordering paper clips, pulls the firefighting crews out...then the fire spreads again...so they need more recources...and so the circus begins all over again..until you end up with a 40 pump fire that should at best probably have been a 10-15 pump fire.

Aahh well..there but for the grace of god go we...

JT

 

[londonfireguy]

Well it was only a matter of time!!

Last week i had my first 'dance with the red devil'
for some time.

It was a hot, humid, zero visibilty internal firefighting
attack at a large warehouse in north east london, it went to
to an FDNY equivalent of a 4th alarm, once all
releif crews had been used to actually fight the fire
we couldnt put out. It was a catering supplies company and
several hundred tonnes of stacked tea towels in a warehouse
measuring 80mx 120m approx. Fire took 11 hours to
extinguish.

Have some random pics of us motley crew but having trouble uploading them
using iphone. If i find a way will post.

Regards

JT