A leading firefighter has promised an ‘invasive’ investigation into what happened after a fire broke out at the massive Station Hill development in Reading.
The incident on November 23 saw huge plumes of smoke coming from a fire that erupted at the One Station Hill office tower which is currently under construction.
During the fire, a construction worker was dramatically rescued by a crane operator, and two people had to be treated for smoke inhalation.
It also led to town centre streets being cordoned off and buildings evacuated while firefighters made the area safe.
Now, nearly two weeks on from the fire, enquiries are being undertaken by both the Health and Safety Executive and Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS), which will be conducting a ‘Tier 2’ investigation.
The investigation was announced at a Royal Berkshire Fire Authority (RBFA) management committee meeting.
Councillor Paul Gittings (Labour, Coley) the vice-chair of the RBFA said: “This is the second incident in Station Hill, which is a prestiege development.
“Reading members are very concerned about the reasons for this incident.
“One would hope those responsible take the measures required.”
He asked to be given an idea of how stringent the Tier 2 inspection will be, and how long it will take.
Mark Arkwell, the deputy chief fire officer of RBFRS explained: “In short it’s a more advanced investigation.
“They are more invasive and quite specialist.”
He added the investigation will be conducted alongside the West Midlands Fire Service, which it works in partnership with.
However, Mr Arkwell was unable to give a timeline for when the investigation will be completed.
The incident was the second fire at the Station Hill site this year, with an earlier break-out occurring on Friday, July 7.
Cllr Gittings also asked whether any lessons had been learned from the operation in November.
Mr Arkwell replied: “Our crews are very well prepared to deal with these incidents. We debrief from all of those types of incidents.
“We have 180+ high-rise buildings in Berkshire.
“Our staff are very well equipped and trained to deal with those incidents, but these incidents happen all too often, so we have to do all we can to prevent them occurring in the first place.”
Councillors praised the speed with which firefighting crews attended, with three fire engines arriving at the scene in under eight minutes.
In total, more than 50 firefighters within 10 fire engines were involved in the operation.
The fire was contained within 30 minutes.
Cllr Jeff Brooks (Liberal Democrats, Thatcham West), the chair of the RBFA, said: “It’s another great example of the professionalism of our staff.
“I’d like to commend the crane operator for an incredible rescue.
He also offered his “sincere thanks” to all firefighters and partners, such as the South Central Ambulance Service and Reading Borough Council.
The information about the Tier 2 investigation was given at the management committee meeting yesterday (Monday, December 4).
