Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters were called to a fire involving two garden sheds at a house on Russell Road in Northolt.
One single-storey timber shed in the back garden of a semi-detached house was destroyed by the fire. A second, single-storey timber shed in the same garden was partly destroyed by the fire. Timber fencing and a timber shed in the garden of the house next door also caught fire.
The cause of the blaze was the use of industrial fireworks in another residential garden. Industrial fireworks involve 60-80 fireworks packed into a single box, which cause much larger and more powerful explosions than fireworks on sale for personal use.
Firefighters worked hard to cut away burning timber from the sheds to quell the fire and extinguish burning trees and shrubs around the gardens that were spreading the blaze.
Station officer Patrick Flynn, who attended the scene, said:
“We arrived to find a well-developed fire in the garden of the property, spreading to the shed of the neighbouring garden’s fencing, shed and greenery.
“It is totally inappropriate to use industrial fireworks for a display in a private garden. The resulting explosions are too powerful for densely-populated residential areas and this caused the fire that affected two properties.”
Fireworks come in 4 categories. Category 1 are low-hazard fireworks such as party poppers and Christmas crackers, while category 2 are ‘adult fireworks’ available to buy in shops and supermarkets. These will have Category F2 or F3 on the box.
Category 4 fireworks are banned for sale to the public and are for professional displays only. These are only available to buy from specialist suppliers.
If you are having your own fireworks display, follow our firefighters’ safety tips:
• Plan your firework display to make it safe and enjoyable
• Only buy fireworks that carry the CE mark and only buy fireworks up to Category 3
• Keep them in a closed box and use them one at a time
• Set fireworks off clear of buildings, sheds, fences and hedges
• Ensure the display finishes before 11pm
You can find out more about fireworks safety at https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/safety/fireworks/
The Brigade was called at 2234 and the fire was under control by 2343. Fire crews from Northolt, Wembley and Harrow fire stations attended the scene.