Waltham Forest (Parliament Politics Magazine) – A passer-by raised the alarm after spotting a fire at a shop in Waltham Forest Market Square, prompting swift emergency response to the scene.
On Wednesday, September 10, around 3:13 a.m., smoke was observed emanating from a store in Market Square, Waltham Abbey.
Residents living above the shop were informed by a member of the public who dialed 999.
Glenn Jackson, watch manager at Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, said:
“Fortunately a member of the public saw the smoke, called 999 and shouted to the occupants in the flats above the shop to get out.
We’d like to praise her for her actions, particularly as none of the smoke alarms in the flats sounded.
We’d also like to praise the residents who did the right thing – they got out, stayed out and enabled our crews to extinguish the fire.
Crews did a fantastic job too, putting procedures we have worked on in training exercises with our colleagues from Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service into practice.”
At the Waltham Forest site were firefighters from Loughton, Epping, and two from Cheshunt.
They found smoke impacting five apartments on the upper floors and a burning shop on the ground floor.
To make sure they were evacuated, crews wearing breathing apparatus examined the apartments.
By 4.35 am, the fire had been put out.
The fire’s cause, which was listed as accidental, is thought to have originated in an air conditioner.
Will the council inspect flats for smoke detector compliance?
Usually, Wandsworth Council is unable to inspect inside individual flats for smoke detector compliance due to limitations on statutory powers and tenant privacy.
The council can only enforce fire safety legislation to landlords and the duty of landlords is to install, test and maintain working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms at the start of the tenancy and then throughout the time the tenancy exists.
Local housing authorities can issue remedial notices, whereby if a landlord does not comply with the notices, the landlord can be fined up to £5,000 per breach.
The council can ask for access for repairs or the installation of products, but cannot force entry into homes to inspect smoke alarms unless with a legal order.