A DEVASTATING FIRE IN WARWICKSHIRE, ENGLAND, during the night has claimed the life of at least one firefighter with three more missing and feared dead.

Daily Mail

The suspicious blaze broke out Friday evening in a vegetable packing plant near Stratford-on-Avon and quickly engulfed the entire structure.  Early on there was a partial roof collapse that trapped the missing firefighters.

BBC

The early statements by the Fire Brigade and Police indicate that this is not an accidental fire.  Not only would it be very unusual for a fire to start in this type of occupancy, but there was an inordinate amount of heat buildup during the fire.

Warwickshire’s fire chief said he had “grave concerns” for his colleagues.  Matt Wrack, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), said that the potential loss of four lives would make the incident the worst loss of life among its members since 1972 when  seven firefighters died while fighting a blaze at a warehouse in Kilbirnie Street, Glasgow.  In that incident, one firefighter was trapped inside the building and six of his colleagues died trying to rescue him.

Mr Wrack said: “We are devastated by the loss of our colleague who died in the line of duty in Warwickshire. We are deeply concerned about the three firefighters who remain missing.

i.t.n.

Up to 100 firefighters and five ambulance crews were called to the scene and up to 16 fire engines were used to fight the blaze, which was still burning on Saturday morning.

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Update:  The fire has been extinguished.  The Telegraph is reporting that the victim and all three of the missing were “retained” firefighters.  That is their term for part-time FF’s.

The packing plant had only been in operation there for little more than a month.  It is located on an abandoned airfield and it appears from the photographs that some old aircraft hangers were utilized as part of the operation.

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