Posted: Friday 16 October 2020, 16:27
A portable misting system (PMS) has activated in a flat on Charlestown Road, Glossop, protecting the 72 year old female occupant and preventing a potentially serious house fire from developing.
On Wednesday the 14 October at 19:10 hours, the PMS that had been fitted to protect the occupant of the Glossop property, activated extinguishing a fire that had started in the microwave. The PMS was installed in June 2019 following concerns that the occupant was at a greater risk of fire and more vulnerable due to mobility issues that would have prevented her from escaping safely should a fire have broken out.
Community Safety Officer Carol Wilson who arranged for the PMS to be fitted said: “When I first visited the property in spring 2019, I was concerned for the fire safety of the occupant. I had concerns relating to their limited mobility and the evidence of a greater risk of fire; if a fire had broken out, the occupant would have struggled to get out of the property and to safety.
“If the misting system hadn’t been installed, the fire could have quickly developed causing untold damage to the property and potentially serious injury or worse. It’s good to hear that by arranging for a misting system to be fitted we have prevented a more serious fire.”
Speaking following the fire, the daughter of the occupant said: “I am extremely thankful to the fire service for fitting a portable misting system into my Mum’s property. The system quickly put the fire out, preventing any further spread, protecting my Mum from serious injury or worse. I dread to think what we would have been dealing with if the misting system hadn’t been fitted.”
Derbyshire’s Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Rick Roberts said: “I’m pleased to hear that a portable misting system has protected a member of our community and prevented a more serious fire developing.
“Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service continues to promote the effectiveness of sprinklers and portable misting systems as effective fire safety measures to protect our communities and property from the fire. This work is part of our ongoing ‘Think Sprinkler’ campaign.
“When fire crews, or community safety officers identify that a portable misting system would be an appropriate form of fire safety protection, depending on the individual circumstances, the Service works with local authorities and housing providers to fit a PMS wherever possible. We currently have 56 portable misting system protecting individuals and their property across the county.”
On Christmas Day 2011 in Eckington, tragically a 79 year old gentleman died following an accidental house fire caused by food which overheated in the microwave. Sadly there wasn’t a working smoke alarm fitted at this property to alert the occupant to the fire. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of cooking and what can go wrong.
Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service would like to remind people to follow these simple safety tips:
- Ensure you have working smoke alarms on every level of your property
- Check your smoke alarms are working ever week
- Have a pre-planned and practiced escape route in case fire does break out
- Never leave cooking unattended