Fire causes evacuation of council building
Chief executive puts out fire which broke out in toilet
A “small fire” led to the evacuation of Stratford District Council staff last Wednesday. Chief executive Sven Hanne said the fire broke out in a toilet in the main building on Miranda St at 12.10pm.
“It started in, and was contained to, a toilet, which is currently under renovation. A staff member was able to extinguish most of the fire before firefighters arrived at the scene.”
He said the building was evacuated until firefighters confirmed it was safe to re-enter.
“Smoke in the building meant that the firefighters required respirators to enter the building to ascertain whether the fire was extinguished.”
No one was injured in the incident he says, adding he and all staff were grateful to the firefighters for their fast response.
“We would like to express our gratitude to the fire service for their fast response and diligent work. We have had more than one false alarm over the years and appreciate that they treat every call out like the real thing. We would also like to thank the employers of our volunteer firefighters, without whom this fantastic service would not be possible.”
On Friday, he said investigations following the blaze confirmed the cause was related to some minor renovations currently under way in the building.
“Fumes from glue used in the installation of new vinyl flooring had spread to the neighbouring bathroom which contained a gas hot water cylinder. The pilot light of which acted as the ignition source. Our health and safety officer confirmed this the following day, as the building had no hot water as a result of the pilot light having been extinguished in the explosion.”
He also confirmed the “staff member” who had extinguished the fire was in fact himself.
“I don’t think it matters who actually fought the fire in this case, as while I was dealing with the fire other staff members ensured the safety of their colleagues and members of public in the building. Everything we do here is a team effort.”
■ Disclaimer: Editor Ilona Hanne is married to the CEO of Stratford District Council