Advice after fifth floor fire in Luton high rise

Firefighters were called at 11.30pm following a report of a bedroom fire, fire crews arrived at the scene within 7 minutes. The fire was contained to the bedroom and was extinguished using a dry powder extinguisher; the area was then dampened down using a small quantity of water. The smoke from the fire was removed from the property and stairwell using positive pressure ventilation.

The majority of damage caused to the flat was from the limited amount of heat and smoke; one lady who was present in the property at the time of the fire was uninjured and was checked over by paramedics.

John Foolkes Business and Commercial Safety Manager said: “The Fire precautions at Dorset Court worked as expected and the fire did not spread beyond the room where it started. In light of recent events at Grenfell Tower in London residents should feel reassured that the hi-rise block is safe.

“It is important for your own and your families safety to understand what to do in the event of a fire, whether it’s in your flat or somewhere else in the building.

“Most high-rise blocks of flats have a ‘stay put’ policy in the event of a fire. Tenants should have been provided with this information when they moved in, however if you are not sure you can also find out your building’s policy direct with the Management Company or council who own the building”.

Cllr Tom Shaw, Portfolio Holder for housing at Luton Council, said: “It is always distressing to hear of a fire in any property although in this case we are reassured that the fire safety measures in place at this high-rise property in Luton worked as intended.

“We would encourage residents in our high-rise properties to always follow the advice of the Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, and further information for residents is available at www.luton.gov.uk/firesafety