Gas leak causes North Yorkshire school fire

Gas leak causes North Yorkshire school fire

A gas leak started a fire at a secondary school in North Yorkshire last week, it has been revealed.

Fire crews were called to Caedmon School in the seaside town of Whitby at around 8am on 29th December, reports Whitby Today.

After a blanking cap was removed, gas began leaking from an external pipe and ignited when the school’s boiler system switched on.

The blaze, which was put out within around 90 minutes, scorched the side of the building and also damaged guttering and the roof.

Whitby fire station watch manager Chris Watson told the news provider: “It was like a large scale Bunsen burner.

“You got a really substantial, ferocious flame going up the side of the school. It could have been really bad but luckily we got there reasonably early.”

An investigation has been launched to discover if the blanking gap was removed deliberately.

A ‘suitable and sufficient’ fire risk assessment must be conducted on all commercial properties in England and Wales, under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

If the fire risk assessment is deemed to be carried out to an insufficient extent, the Responsible Person can face an unlimited fine or a prison sentence of up to two years.

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