Barton Hill: Fire at block of flats in Bristol leaves six injured
A fire which broke out at a block of flats in Bristol this morning (20 October) has left six people injured.
Avon Fire and Rescue Service were called to Eccleston House on Aiken Street, in Barton Hill, just after 6am.
The fire was on the first floor and spread to the outside of the block, so the whole building was evacuated.
People were urged to avoid the area as crews from Temple, Hicks Gate, Bedminster, Kingswood, Southmead and Portishead stations worked at the scene. The fire was put out at around 9am.
It has since been confirmed that six people were injured during the fire, having suffered from burns and smoke inhalation. Three of them have been taken to hospital.
Avon Fire and Rescue Service area manager Dave Hodges said: "We deployed crews wearing breathing apparatus to tackle the fire and assist residents.
“The decision was taken to evacuate the building, while crews carried out a full search of the building and to account for all persons.
“The fire has now been extinguished and fire crews remain in attendance to make the scene safe. We are working with our partner agencies to support the local community during this time.”
Eccleston House is a tower block that was built in the 1960s and contains 74 flats. The entire building has been evacuated.
The fire comes less than a month after a fatal tower block fire in Easton which has sparked a campaign for new fire safety measures from residents.
One man died in a fall from the 16th floor of Twinnel House as he tried to escape flames. The blaze was caused by an electric bike.
In a statement, Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees said: “I would like to thank everyone in the community who responded so swiftly to help out this morning. This includes the brave efforts of our emergency services as well as council officers who provided front-line support. In particular, I would also like to personally thank the local mosque and church who have helped us out generously during and after the evacuation.
"Many people will feel affected by recent events, including the fire at nearby Twinnell House, and I would encourage residents to seek support from the council’s housing and welfare teams who will continue checking in on everyone in the coming hours and days.
"It is completely understandable that high-rise residents across the city may feel upset and worried. We will be doing all we can to support them and will also be reminding all high-rise tenants in our city of the fire safety advice specific to their blocks.”