Pictures show fire damage at Nottinghamshire County Hall caused by 'electrical overheating'
Pictures have been released to show the extend of the damage caused by an accidental electrical fire at Nottinghamshire County Hall in West Bridgford.
The fire, which was caused by electrical overheating, broke out on Thursday 28 July and required 12 fire engines to tackle the flames.
After a 20 hour investigation, the cause of the fire was said to be an accidental electrical cause which lead to the overheating of a lighting fixture.
No-one was injured in the fire, which the fire service attributes to well-fitted and functioning fire doors.
The incident has prompted calls from the council and fire service urging all building owners to check or install fire safety doors, so that the flames are contained - as was seen with the County Hall fire.
Footage shows crews tackling the fire that broke out at Nottinghamshire County Hall in West Bridgford.
Watch Manager Tim Marston, who carried out the investigation for Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “The fire has been attributed to an accidental electrical cause, leading to the overheating of a lighting fixture and adjacent wiring within the ceiling void on the first floor of the building.
“The fact that the affected floor had well-fitting automatic fire doors, that functioned correctly, is a testimony as to why the most severe fire and radiated heat damage was contained to one area, leaving adjacent stairwells clear to aid evacuation.
“I urge all building owners, where fire doors are fitted, to ensure they check the effectiveness of any automatic or self-closing devices, that doors fit correctly within the doorframe and escape routes are always kept clear.
“Our Fire Protection Team will continue to support Nottinghamshire County Council with their recovery process as they look to bring the building back to full use."
The council added it was a good reminder to have regular fire drills, and thanked the fire service for its swift response.
Derek Higton, Nottinghamshire County Council’s Service Director for Place and Communities, said: "It is good to know that our fire precaution arrangements and infrastructure worked effectively, with our automatic fire doors functioning correctly to contain the damage at County Hall and to ensure the safety of all those who were in the building at the time.
“Since the fire was extinguished, we have worked well to ensure that any disruption to our services has been minimal and I can confirm that our services are now fully operational.
“It goes without saying that we’d like to thank the public and our staff, who I must stress followed our fire safety regulations correctly and without panic, for their continued patience in this challenging period for us.
“Finally, the response to the emergency by all those who were in the building on Thursday shows the value of having our regular and consistent fire drills.”