Blaze flats were criticised over exits and escape routes
A NOTTINGHAM block of flats that was evacuated due to a suspected arson attack was found by the fire service not to be managing serious risks.
Two cars were set alight in the basement car park of the Litmus Building in Huntingdon Street in the city centre at around 3.25am on Monday. A 63-year-old man has since been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life.
It has emerged that the 14-floor building was issued with an enforcement notice by Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) on March 25, just over a month before the fire.
Residential Management Group (RMG), which manages the property, said it was “progressing remediation of the building”.
NFRS issued the notice after a building inspection identified various fire safety issues. These primarily included problems with the fire detection systems, escape routes and exits, and the building’s overall fire risk assessment. It also found faults with maintenance and measures provided for the protection of firefighters. A spokesperson for the service said: “We will now be working closely with the building owners to ensure these issues are resolved as soon as possible.”
Hundreds of residents live at the flats, including families. On the morning of the fire, many were able to take refuge in the nearby Salvation Army and Nottingham Trent University’s Boots Library before being allowed to return at around 7.30am.
A spokesperson for RMG, which has managed the building since January 2023, said: “The safety and wellbeing of residents is our primary concern. We are progressing remediation of the building and continue to work collaboratively with the fire service to actively address the issues identified at the building. Regular updates are being shared with residents.
“The recent incident in the basement car park, which we understand the police are investigating, was quickly resolved by our team and demonstrated the effectiveness of the fire defences and on-site operational procedures in place at the building, to ensure the safety of residents.”