The Risk of Fire

• The Rome fire does not have much recorded for us to study today, so we don’t know what lessons the Romans learned from this disaster. But what can be linked to the fire is a more specious street layout designed as part of Nero’s urban plan. The modern city of Rome is still in this layout.
• The London fire allowed building with stone brick instead of the cramped wooden structures. This can be found in the Act for Rebuilding the city of London 1667. This act prohibited the use of building materials and stated the purpose was to fight against ‘the future perils of fire.’
  This act included opening paths and streets from the previous cramps allies to roadways fit for two carriages. The Fire gave birth to new industries such as modern property insurance and fire brigades.
• The New York fire gave way for an improved water system; before 1837, new york’s water system was not up to standard for the sudden growth the city had seen. After the fire, the Croton Aqueduct was installed, supplying 12 million gallons of water to the city daily. This was the first of its kind in the United States, revolutionising the water system in America.
• The Chicago fire raised awareness that the rapid growth of cities needed to regulate the installed building. The fire showed the need to upgrade building techniques to reduce further fire risks and have adequate water systems for future incidents.

Now, you are probably wondering why I’m talking about these fires. Well, that’s because today’s article will cover the unexpected fire.

It’s coming to that time of year when the nights get longer and colder, and people want to liven up their homes to give them a jolly feel. Of course, there is nothing wrong with that, each to their own. This article highlights the possible dangers and ensures you and your loved ones are safe this coming winter.

Many could not think that the Christmas tree wouldn’t harm the household. So is it the plastic tree or the actual tree that’s the danger? Both have their risks.

But why is this typical festive decoration a danger? Well, we first need to analyse the possible problems.

Trees, when in the right place, are a beautiful addition. We need to be aware that when the wood is in a dry and warm environment, this is when problems can occur.

Dry wood can catch fire quite easily.

Why?

Knowing the cause of the fire was not the tree, but the electrics still caused concern for the fire department. The officer relayed the danger of the unobserved Christmas tree, especially in a home without recorded electric service. The house had not been subject to its five-year electrical service and thus resulted in higher than legally required electrical voltage surging through the socket.

Who was indeed at fault? The unknowing tenant, the neglectful landlord, and the letting agency. It is debatable who should have questioned the lack of safety documents, but the agent should have ensured the building was safe to inhabit before listing it for renters.

Now, this article is not just about festive fires but unexpected ones. The subsequent unexpected fire was at a launderette.

Fire in the Laundrette.

The operatives arrived to discover the large warehouse that a Laundrette used was doused with water by the eight fire departments. Fire and rescue were on site for hours after the fire appeared to be out to ensure that the fire did not reignite. This is a common practice by the department; while on-site, the fire investigation team conduct their survey in search of the cause.

The question on everyone’s mind was, what had happened?

How?

Well, something we common folk doesn’t know about in the washing industry is to get that perfect crisp white sheets we see in restaurants and hotels. It turns out there is only one chemical that can get that result. But the downside to using this chemical is that it can spontaneously combust if left under the right conditions.

I won’t tell you what the chemical is, but we will discuss the dangers of not following the manufacturer’s instructions.

Since this chemical is the only thing in the industry that can get the deep clean needed, it is limited to who can buy it. Professional use chemicals have their disclaimer; it is down to the person using the chemical to handle it correctly. Because of this, storage recommendations are made for both the chemical and the items recently cleaned by it; if the customer chooses to ignore these recommendations, it can cause a health and safety risk, such as combustion.

I’m not saying this fire was anyone’s fault, as it was a risk to the industry. But what could have been done differently? Could anything have been done differently?

• Properties still need to have their electrics checked regularly. (At least every five years by a qualified electrician.)
• Don’t rely on someone else to check your safety is covered. Instead, ask to see the safety certificates.
• Read the instruction manual and manufacturer recommendations.
• Don’t assume it won’t catch fire, check it.

Most commercial sites have regular fire alarm testing, and sometimes they can come at the most inconvenient moments but remember. Better safe than sorry.

Fires can happen at any time and location; this is what happened for the laundrette. Their managers never expected the unit to set ablaze in the storage area. Precautions were made in the expected places, but with this, a lesson checks the unexpected.