Electrical fault in hot press a ‘likely cause of Stardust fire’
AN electrical fault in a hot press is ‘a likely cause’ of the Stardust nightclub fire that killed 48 people, an expert witness told the inquest, confirming ‘it is difficult to see’ how the fire would have spread without combustible carpet tiles on the walls.
Dr Will Hutchinson, who has 23 years of experience as a fire investigator, told the Dublin District Coroner’s Court yesterday that the carpet tiles on the walls under a low ceiling contributed to the rapid spread of the fire through the Artane nightclub in the early hours of Valentine’s Day, 1981. Dr Hutchinson confirmed to Séan Guerin SC, representing a number of the victims’ families, that expert reports identified defects in the Stardust’s electrical installation.
Mr Guerin said there were a number of distinct issues with the upper immersion unit in the hot press in the main bar of the Stardust, which produced excess heat.
He said there was only a small portion of the total strands of wiring properly connected, which forced the current through copper wiring that was not sufficient to take that current, and this would produce
‘Not sufficient to take current’
heat. He said that the round plastic cover that was meant to be in place on the upper unit in the hot press had been removed before the fire, which would affect the operation of the thermostat. Dr Hutchinson confirmed this. Mr Guerin said that with the cap removed, the thermostat is exposed to the air around the unit, which could lead to the thermostat not switching off. He said if the thermostat does not switch off, the current will be forced through the bad wiring and forced through the area of corrosion, generating heat.
He said the insulation jacket around the hot press could then be ignited and the fire spread rapidly due to the combustible carpet tiles.
Dr Hutchinson was asked by Mr Guerin: ‘Isn’t the electrical fault in the hot press the likely cause of the fire in the Stardust?’ ‘Yes, it is a likely cause,’ he replied. Mr Guerin continued: ‘It is difficult to see how this fire would have got out of control the way it did without the carpet tiles on the wall...’ ‘Yes, I agree,’ said Dr Hutchinson. The inquest continues today in the Pillar Room of the Rotunda Hospital.