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Downham Market fire station destroyed in fire Gutted Downham Market fire station had no sprinklers
(about 3 hours later)
A fire station and fire engine have been destroyed in an overnight blaze. A Norfolk fire station gutted in a blaze that destroyed a fire engine, was not fitted with sprinklers or alarms.
Police officers working nearby reported the fire in Downham Market, Norfolk, just after midnight. It had started in the bay where the station's fire engine was housed. Norfolk's deputy chief fire officer Roy Harold accepted the service should have followed its own advice.
Crews from other areas were called to help tackle the fire. Police officers working nearby reported the fire in Downham Market, just after midnight.
Norfolk's deputy chief fire officer Roy Harold said: "Normally we go to other people's fires, but tonight we had to go to our own." It started in the bay where the station's fire engine was housed and crews from other areas were called to help tackle the flames.
Nearby houses were evacuated for a short time. No-one was hurt.
No-one was at the station at the time, as Downham Market is a retained fire station.
Mr Harold said breathing apparatus cylinders on the burnt fire engine had ruptured.
Police and fire officers were searching the area to make sure there was no dangerous debris, he said.
'Crew dumbfounded''Crew dumbfounded'
Mr Harold said: "Normally we go to other people's fires, but tonight we had to go to our own.
"I think there is a fire safety message there for us. This building's relatively new, but it wasn't sprinklered.
"If it'd been fitted with sprinklers, we wouldn't be here today chatting about this because the fire would've been put out very, very quickly automatically.
"We now ask all new building developments to consider sprinklers very strongly."
Nearby houses were evacuated for a short time. No-one was hurt.
At the time, there was no-one was at the station, which is retained.
New equipment and a replacement fire engine have already been delivered to the town, stationed at the nearby police station.New equipment and a replacement fire engine have already been delivered to the town, stationed at the nearby police station.
"We've lost the fire station but we haven't lost the cover," said Mr Harold."We've lost the fire station but we haven't lost the cover," said Mr Harold.
A new fire engine costs about £250,000 and a new fire station could cost about £1.5m, he said.A new fire engine costs about £250,000 and a new fire station could cost about £1.5m, he said.
Watch manager Kim Scotney has been at Downham Market fire station for 28 years. Watch manager Kim Scotney said: "The rest of the crew are dumbfounded.
"We're gutted," he said. "The rest of the crew are dumbfounded. It hasn't quite sunk in properly, but at the end of the day nobody was hurt." "It hasn't quite sunk in properly, but at the end of the day nobody was hurt."
Norfolk's chief fire officer, Nigel Williams said: "We are grateful to our colleagues at Norfolk Constabulary for the magnificent support they have offered overnight and today. Norfolk's chief fire officer, Nigel Williams thanked police for their help.
"In the future, we will be looking into the potential to sit down with colleagues with Norfolk Constabulary and discuss future arrangements which may be eligible for some sort of funding from central Government." "In the future, we will be looking into the potential to sit down with colleagues with Norfolk Constabulary and discuss future arrangements which may be eligible for some sort of funding from central government," he said.
An investigation into the cause of the fire will begin when the building has been declared safe.An investigation into the cause of the fire will begin when the building has been declared safe.
Downham Market fire station has one watch manager, two crew managers and eight firefighters.Downham Market fire station has one watch manager, two crew managers and eight firefighters.
It has been on its present site since 2006.It has been on its present site since 2006.