A major fire that broke at a residential tower under construction in Staines was caused by welding work, the developer has confirmed.
On the afternoon of 26 June 2024, Surrey Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), aided by the London Fire Brigade, dispatched eight fire appliances to attend the blaze at a high-rise building located in Staines town centre.
The site, which is being developed by Fairview New Homes, consists of two buildings under construction at 13 and 15 storeys high respectively. Plumes of grey smoke could be seen issuing from the roof of one of the buildings, which is understood to be where the welding work was taking place.
The developer said that the building was unoccupied, with SFRS confirming that all persons had been accounted for. Three workers were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation while another person was taken to hospital by the South East Coast Ambulance Service.
As reported by the Construction Enquirer, the developer said: “Around midday today we were notified by our construction team that there was a fire on the roof of one of the blocks at the Staines construction site which resulted from welding works being undertaken on the roof. The fire has now been extinguished.
“The Fire Brigade was immediately notified and the whole construction site was evacuated in line with standard procedure. One operative was taken to hospital as a precaution. The building which is currently under construction was not occupied.
“We would like to thank the Fire Brigade for their swift and effective action as well as apologise to the residents and businesses of Staines for any concern or inconvenience caused.”
In an update shared the following day, SFRS said: “A huge thank you and well done to our staff and partners who supported yesterday’s incident in Staines-upon-Thames. Our crews left the site at around 8pm yesterday and have re-inspected again today.”
(Photograph by Surrey Fire and Rescue Service)