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Page 1: St George, Tooting - Fire Consultancyfireconsultancy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/fcs-h-st-george... · BA made their way to the storeroom and were informed by the porter that

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Thebuildingusewasintensivecare;theconstructiontypewasofwoodloadbearingwall,floor,woodencolumns,andwoodenfeltroof.Theroomwherethefireinitiatedwas6mby15musedastechnician’slabstoreconnectedtothemainhospitalbyacorridor.Anightporterisreportedtohaveseenasmallorangeglowinawindowoftheintensivecareunit.Uponinvestigationthefirewaspresentinsideaplasticbox,containingplastictubes.Smokethickandblackbeganensuingoutthenowopendoorintothecorridoroftheintensivecareunit.Thefirebrigadewascalledandarrivedjust5minuteslater.ThefirefightersequippedwithBAmadetheirwaytothestoreroomandwereinformedbytheporterthatthestoreroomcontainedmetalcylinders.Smokenowtoodensetoseeresultedinoneofthefirefightersunaccountedforandalthoughthefirenow30minutesintodevelopmentandthickblacksmokefillingthespacesbutverylittleheat.OnefirefightercompaniedofburnsonhishandsandwasdistressedfromthesituationandlaterconveyedtothehospitalA&Edepartment.Themissingfiremanwasfoundatthestoreroomfloorunconscious.Thesmallfirelaterextinguished

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Asaprecaution21patientswereevacuatedalongwithstaff.Fireinvestigatorsandforensicspecialistsconcludedthemostlikecauseofthefirewasmaliciouswithoutrealizingthechemicalsstoredintheroomwouldreactunderlittleheatcausingatoxicchemicalcloudmakingitdifficulttobreathandcausingchemicalburnsontheskinformminutesofexposure.Inaddition,hadthefirebeenallowedtodevelopthe12storedcylinderswouldhavebeenarisk,uponinspection4ofthecylindersvalvesfailedresultinginareleaseofoxygenat60PSIFailingsofthefireservice

o Notcarryoutariskassessmentastothecauseofthesmokebeforeenteringthebuilding

o Assumingthefirewasexothermicreactioncausedbyhydrocarboncombustibles

o FailingtoundertakeasecuresearchoftheareahavingoneFFunaccountedfor.

StGeorge,TootingApril27,1987

EventStatistics

SeveralHours

LessonsLearned

Durationoffire

Numberofcasualties

Costtoindustry

References

2firefightersinjured

Disruptiontohospitalservices,emergencyresponsebyfirefightersinattendance

Thefireservicecollage.1987.StGeorgeincident.Investigationtochemicalfire,March28,2014,WeetwoodHallLeeds.

TypeoffireChemicalVaporCloud

ArsonIgnitionSource

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