Destructive warehouse blaze requires major firefighting effort

An unsprinklered Essex warehouse was destroyed in a devastating blaze that generated large quantities of thick black smoke, impacting local businesses and causing significant disruption to the surrounding community.

The huge fire on September 5^th at Eastways Industrial Estate in Witham required 90 firefighters, 12 appliances and specialist equipment from Essex Country Fire and Rescue Service. Thankfully, there were no reported injuries but four crews remained in position overnight, using an aerial ladder to monitor for hot spots at the 4000m² warehouse.

Essex fire chiefs praised crews’ ‘incredibly hard’ efforts in bringing the blaze under control and protecting surrounding properties. It was also reported that teams would be supporting businesses and community members impacted by the fire. The initial investigation revealed the fire’s cause as accidental.

The warehouse was the headquarters and distribution centre for Dalebrook, a business that sold food displayware. It had been there for more than 30 years and shared the building with GBL Ltd, a manufacturer of plastic retail displays.

The financial cost to the two businesses has not been reported. However, both companies will need to find alternative premises. Therefore, the interruption to business operations, along with the destruction of stock, is likely to come at a severe cost.

With access to the industrial estate restricted during the firefighting operation and clean up, other businesses were also impacted by the blaze. Its effect on the wider community included residents being advised to keep all doors and windows closed due to harmful smoke, road closures and a number of measures employed to minimise the impact of pollution on the local environment.   

The combustible nature of the warehouse’s contents is likely to have played a part in the fire’s rapid escalation. The resulting damage and impact to business and the wider community highlights once again the need for sprinkler protection in commercial buildings, particularly where combustible materials are present. Sprinklers should be core to a commercial building’s design and construction. Their installation protects lives, businesses and supports fire crews, providing an initial line of defence by detecting and suppressing a blaze before it takes significant hold.

In serious warehouse fires, damage isn’t restricted to the building itself. They pose a significant risk to a business’s long-term operation, jeopardise jobs and employees’ mental wellbeing, and potentially lead to a company owner’s lifelong hopes and dreams going up in smoke. Sprinklers help to extinguish that threat and should be a fundamental part of resilience planning.

For more information about the BSA visit the www.business-sprinkler-alliance.org