Fire Service statement following two high rise fires

John Pratt Area Manager for Service Delivery at Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service said:

“Yesterday TWFRS attended two fires at high rise buildings, one at The Pines in Newcastle and the other at Londonderry Tower in Sunderland. At both incidents the fire detection equipment activated as it should and residents were quickly alerted that a fire had broken out. Fire crews responded quickly and through the professional action of the crews they were able to bring the incidents to a safe and speedy conclusion.

Both fires started in the bedroom of the respective flats and although the cause is believed to be accidental, investigations are still ongoing. The occupier from The Pines fortunately managed to self-rescue prior to the arrival of the fire service. The occupier from the Londonderry Tower was rescued by crews and was then taken by ambulance to hospital for treatment.

Our Firefighters train for fires like these and we exercise on regular occasions to test and improve our procedures. We would like to reassure residents of high rise buildings across our region that we are prepared in the event of a fire, however, we would encourage occupiers of high rise buildings, to ensure that they are aware of the procedures that they should follow in the event of a fire alarm activation within their buildings – if you have a fire in your flat, please follow the advice given by your particular housing provider.

Further advice and information can be found on our website here: https://www.twfire.gov.uk/safety-advice/home/escape/.”