In light of the recent significant fires involving large timber framed buildings under construction including Peckham, Camberwell and Basingstoke which all resulted in fire damage to adjacent buildings, the Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA) is now calling for an urgent review of the Building Regulations to consider the issue of external fire spread from fires involving construction sites.

Large timber framed buildings under construction pose a significant risk to firefighters, construction workers and members of the public. The use of timber frame (TF) as a method of construction, together with other Innovative Construction Products and Techniques (ICPT) has increased markedly in recent years as an alternative to traditional building construction methods.

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The latest fire involving a timber framed building occurred on 10 September and involved a serious fire in a four storey complex under construction at Gershwin Road, Basingstoke, Hampshire.

The fire threatened neighbouring properties and CFOA Vice President, Chief Fire Officer Peter Holland said, “But for the tenacity and heroic efforts of fire crews responding from Hampshire, Surrey and Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Services, the consequences of this fire would have been much worse”.

CFOA is increasingly concerned that a fire involving a timber framed building under construction may result in loss of life. The Government Department which oversees the Fire and Rescue Service, Communities and Local Government, are commissioning research into firefighting in timber framed buildings and also fire spread within and beyond such buildings. CFOA is calling for this research to be accelerated and the findings published as a matter of urgency.

CFOA also wants managers of building sites to be extra vigilant as most of these fires are started deliberately by arsonists.

(CD)