Tandridge Buzz

Faulty fairy lights and burnt turkey dinners have sparked a Christmas safety warning after it was revealed house fires in Surrey doubled last December.

There were 56 fires in homes throughout the county last December – double the monthly average of 28.

A total of 18 of these were linked to cooking. So far this month there have been 32 house fires in Surrey.

The alarming statistics have prompted a warning from Surrey Fire and Rescue Service for people to take extra care this year, or risk their Christmas going up in flames.

Top tips to stay safe this festive season:

• Have a working smoke alarm installed on all levels of your home and make sure it works.
• Check on older relatives and neighbours this Christmas.
• Never leave cooking unattended. Switch off appliances when you have finished.
• Never leave candles unattended. Keep them out of the reach of children and away from decorations, cards and wrapping paper, lights and heaters.
• Put out cigarettes. Take extra care doing this when drunk or tired.
• Don’t overload sockets. Ensure only one plug per socket. Always turn off plugs when they are not in use, except those that are designed to be left on, like freezers.
• Always switch off fairy lights and unplug them before you go to bed, or leave the house. Check your Christmas tree lights conform to the British Standard (BS EN 60598).
• Always use a residual current device (RCD) on outdoor electrical equipment. This safety device can save lives by instantly switching off the power if there is a fault and can be found in any DIY store.
• Make sure that everyone in your home knows what to do if there is a fire.

Vist Surrey Fire and Rescue website for more information.

Surrey Police, Surrey Fire and Rescue and the Health and Safety Executive are continuing to investigate how a large fire started at the Hobbs Industrial Estate last week, which left eight people injured.

Shortly before 11.30am on Monday, 3 October, the emergency services were called to Hobbs Industrial Estate on Eastbourne Road, following an explosion.

As a precaution the surrounding premises were evacuated.

Eight people were taken to hospital following the fire. One casualty remains at the Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, for serious injuries. The remaining casualties have been discharged from hospital.

“The emergency services all worked together to return the industrial estate to normality as soon as possible as we were very aware a number of business premises had been affected,” said Tandridge Neighbourhood Inspector Angie Austin.

“We are still investigating what happened at Unit 33c and officers are assisting Surrey Fire and Rescue and the Health and Safety Executive to determine how the blaze started.

“I would once again like to thank the business community at Hobbs Industrial Estate for their patience and co-operation during this last week. It is important we, the Health and Safety Executive and Surrey Fire and Rescue gather crucial evidence which will hopefully help us establish exactly how this fire started.”

No arrests have been made.

Eight people have been injured — four seriously — after an explosion and “major” fire at the Hobbs Industrial Estate on Eastbourne Road in Newchapel.

The Fire Brigade were called to the incident at 11.23am. Crews from Surrey, East and West Sussex were faced with a serious and rapidly expanding fire.

In total, 12 appliances, one aerial ladder platform and three water carriers attended the incident.

The fire occurred in a single-storey building and crews initially worked to tackle the fire and protect the surrounding premises using foam and water to bring it under control.

Progress was slow and difficult due to the presence of bulk liquid petroleum gas and liquid petroleum gas cylinders, which were exposed to heat from the fire and the various chemicals used and stored on the premises.

The surrounding premises have been evacuated as a precautionary measure and the buildings in the immediate vicinity are likely to remain closed until tomorrow.

The South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAMB) also deployed their hazardous area response team, two air ambulances and two doctors to the scene.

The Environment Agency has been assisting the fire service in dealing with the fire water run-off to protect the environment.

Residents living near the Hobbs Industrial Estate  in are urged to keep their windows shut and to stay away from the area.

A police spokesman said: “It is still too early to speculate on the cause of the fire and we will, of course, be supporting Surrey Police and the Health and Safety Executive to undertake a full and thorough investigation into the possible cause.

“The police would ask that members of the public stay away from the area for the rest of the day.”

East Surrey MP Sam Gyimah said he was leaving the Conservative Party Conference to head back.

“Utterly shocked by the explosion at the Hobbs Industrial Estate in Lingfield. My thoughts are with the families affected.”

Residents in Whyteleafe were evacuated on Tuesday morning after a three-storey derelict building on Godstone Road was the target of an arson attack.

Witnesses have reported seeing three or four people running out of the building shortly before 1230am before smoke began to emerge from the former naval supplies site, which has been unused for around 30 years. No one was inside the building at the time of the arson.

Around 25 firefighters attended the scene while a mile-long stretch of the A22 between Whyteleafe and Kenley was closed off on Tuesday morning.

Police officers have already carried out house-to-house enquiries in the area and are exploring CCTV opportunities from the nearby BP fuel station.

Whyteleafe resident Rob Pearce (@gingerob), who lives next door to the building tweeted: “Neighbour saw four youths running away and saw the fire at about 12:20 and we were evacuated just before 4am.”

Detective Constable Errol Chetty said: “This reckless arson has resulted in extensive structural damage to the building which means it will now have to be demolished.

“A number of residents living close to the scene were temporarily displaced in the middle of the night and the A22 has been closed to allow the emergency services to safely deal with the incident.

“Those responsible for this reckless act need to be identified and arrested. Not only have they caused untold inconvenience to those living near the scene as well as motorists and rail passengers in the area, their actions mean the owner now has to pay for the building to be demolished.

“Thankfully no one was injured but arson is taken very seriously by Surrey Police as people’s lives are put at risk.
“I would like to reassure the community we are working closely with our colleagues in the local Safer Neighbourhood Team to identify who was responsible. “I would urge anyone who believes they may have seen something or has information they feel is relevant, to please give Surrey Police a call.”

• Anyone with information should call DC Chetty at Surrey Police on 101, quoting reference number TD/11/4544.

(Photo courtesy of Rob Pearce)

Surrey Police and Firebrigade were on hand to advise shoppers on safer driving at Tesco in Caterham-on-the-hill last week (8-9 July).

The Drive SMART and Driven to Distraction campaigns, launched in 2009 by Tandridge Council and backed by £1m worth of funding, provide advice on road safety issues.

The two emergency services spent two days answering questions on a range of driving behaviours that negatively affect the lives of other road users or local residents.

These include tailgating, bad or inconsiderate parking, using a handheld mobile phone at the wheel, speeding, drink and drug driving, not wearing a seatbelt and generally thoughtless or reckless driving.

“Drive SMART is a great scheme which gives local residents and businesses a chance to take charge of their local roads,” said casualty reduction officer PC Moira Cocks.

“The scheme is about educating drivers around the dangers of speeding and staying alert when driving. The public can rest assured we will not shy away from taking action against repeat offenders. Getting tough on speeding motorists is a priority for Surrey Police and I know it is a big concern for the local community.”