Minor Fire

[Deleted User]

Yesterday i had a minor fire. Moved into council maisonette in June. Never had a fire before. Called fire brigade and they vented the place as best as they could but it still smells. Was a minor fire but kitchen needed cleaning of light smoke covering. Fumes gone, just burn smell now.

Been trying for four months to get council to replace fire door. Its missing the lock mechanism (removed by previous tenant), has no auto close hinge and is not sealed. Just posting this to make sure anyone who is in same situation is more insistent with LL with fire door repairs. Fifty odd years and a fire had to happen now! But this could happen to anyone. Fumes were very bad. Fire alarms didn't work either. No idea why (test button works and is hard wired I think).

lincroft1710

Are you saying the oven got too hot and self combusted?

Perhaps when it was moved, it was damaged or wasn't installed properly.

ProDave

Or the packaging was left in?

Who installed it?

[Deleted User]

No, the fire was my fault. Totally. I had something on the hob, turned the gas off when finished and didn't notice I knocked the upper oven knob straight to high. I do normally check button positions when I have finished cooking but not this time.

A roast potatoe tin with fat in it was in the oven. Not good practice. It started burning, and didn't go out when I did finally notice the fumes (in fact my son did). Fire didn't go out when I turned oven off for at least ten minutes (fire was going up side of the internal walls of the oven, damage to grill and possibly element/workings there). Something nasty was burning judging by the fumes, there was smoke, but the fumes were more of a problem.

THAT was my fault.

but not having a fire door you can close, and not having a working fire alarm (seemed to work, test button works but it definitely did not go off last night) are more my concern right now. I can't undo the fire.

I have had the oven for 18 months, it wasn't new. No packaging, I moved here in June, no packaging used then anyway lol. I'm not sure why people are querying this lol.

I posted because I am sure like me, people are told to be patient with repairs and look where patience has got me (yes I do know I was careless too).

lincroft1710

deannatrois wrote: »

I have had the oven for 18 months, it wasn't new. No packaging, I moved here in June, no packaging used then anyway lol. I'm not sure why people are querying this lol.

Because your opening post implied there might have been a fault with the oven

G_M

So you have 2 issues - nothing to do with the oven except that you had a scare from the oven:

1) faulty fire door
20 faulty smoke alarm

Yes?

How long ago did you write your letter to your landlord reporting these issues?
What exactly did you say?
What response did you get?
What follow-up letter did you write and when?

G_M

deannatrois wrote: »

I have had the oven for 18 months, it wasn't new. No packaging, I moved here in June, no packaging used then anyway lol. I'm not sure why people are querying this lol.

Because the first 2/3rds of your post were about the oven. It was only in your third & final paragraph that you describe the actual issues.

[Deleted User]

Removed confusing bits. Sorry about that.

Thank you very much for the advice but hopefully have got the repairs in hand now. Also have a fire safety inspection from Fire brigade booked for 17th November although I hope at least alarms will be working by then. Will buy one tomorrow meanwhile.

I am told all the needed repairs (long list) are being handled by private contractor, but fire door is being done by council. Just hasn't happened yet but repair now been labelled as urgent.., supposedly. I didn't even know fire alarms wouldn't work. I have emailed Housing Officer yet again. Support worker (who I have now got) has contacted them as well.

As I am on probationary tenancy I am a bit scared of making my tenancy more temporary if I make too many waves (there always seem to be rules you aren't aware of when the council wants to find them) although I do think council have been negligent. Don't want anyone else in a worse position, I was lucky it was a relatively minor kitchen fire.

I have only posted to bring it home to anyone who is being 'patient' about repairs to fire doors that a fire really can happen anytime.

LanceD

Thankfully, it was a minor accident at your place and no big loss has occurred. Its good that you hired the professionals to fix the work. As in the future it could have been dangerous, fire can cause a lot of damage.

Cheeky_Monkey

deannatrois wrote: »

Removed confusing bits. Sorry about that.

Thank you very much for the advice but hopefully have got the repairs in hand now. Also have a fire safety inspection from Fire brigade booked for 17th November although I hope at least alarms will be working by then. Will buy one tomorrow meanwhile.

I am told all the needed repairs (long list) are being handled by private contractor, but fire door is being done by council. Just hasn't happened yet but repair now been labelled as urgent.., supposedly. I didn't even know fire alarms wouldn't work. I have emailed Housing Officer yet again. Support worker (who I have now got) has contacted them as well.

As I am on probationary tenancy I am a bit scared of making my tenancy more temporary if I make too many waves (there always seem to be rules you aren't aware of when the council wants to find them) although I do think council have been negligent. Don't want anyone else in a worse position, I was lucky it was a relatively minor kitchen fire.

I have only posted to bring it home to anyone who is being 'patient' about repairs to fire doors that a fire really can happen anytime.

So you have been complaining for months about the fire door and then you accidentally cause a fire for the first time ever. I wonder how the Council will view that.

pimento

Cheeky_Monkey wrote: »

So you have been complaining for months about the fire door and then you accidentally cause a fire for the first time ever. I wonder how the Council will view that.

You'd hope that they would thank their lucky stars that nobody was hurt.