Second evacuation for people living near Beaucette fire

Numerous 999 calls were made by people living in the north of the island after a storage shed went up in flames.

Loud bangs and explosions were heard which firefighters later said were flares and canisters.

Surrounding neighbours were advised to evacuate and a CT Plus bus was available to take residents to the Salvation Army at L’Islet until the area was no longer cordoned off.

Guernsey Fire & Rescue Service station officer in operation Gary Van der Linden said that at around 8pm it was believed that the fire was under control and residents were told they could return to their properties.

‘We then got additional information from the person who occupies and rents out the shed that there were several cylinders we were not aware of so we carried on cooling them down and delayed residents from coming back into their properties until around 10.30pm.

‘We wanted to make sure the scene was absolutely safe.’

Although there is no information as to what started the fire, Mr Van der Linden said the shed was secure on arrival so he had no reason to believe it was started maliciously.

‘We have no reason to believe the fire was started by anything untoward but a proper investigation will be carried out by the owner’s insurers.’

He was aware that the shed was used to store cylinders, paints and thinners and that it had an electricity supply and a heater, which had been used.

‘My advice to everyone is to store things properly and remember to turn electrics and heating off when you leave,’ he said.

He thanked Guernsey Police and Civil Protection for their assistance with cordons and keeping residents safe, as well as CT Plus and the Salvation Army at L’Islet who took in residents who could not access their properties.

Graham Chester lives in the house next to the shed, closest to the fire.

After being informed by someone from Beaucette Marina that the shed was on fire, Mr Chester and his family were evacuated along with tens of other residents.

‘Most people were able to get their cars and drive somewhere else,’ he said. ‘But we couldn’t get our car out so we got on the bus which took us to the Salvation Army and had a nice cup of coffee there.

‘The police then gave us a lift back to our house but I stopped off to grab some dinner while my daughter went back because she was a bit worried about the cat – which is fine, by the way.’

However, while waiting for his Chinese takeaway, his daughter phoned to say they were being evacuated again while the site was dampened down further, due to the additional canisters.

‘We had to eat our takeaway in the Keyprice car park,’ Mr Chester said, laughing.

‘The main thing is no one was hurt and the services did a great job of securing the area – we were well looked after at the Salvation Army base anyway.

‘You probably only get a few non-windy days up at Beaucette a year, luckily Tuesday was one of them. The big concern seemed to be the burning asbestos, which is why everyone was evacuated quickly.’

Asbestos risk ‘extremely low’, but stay away is safety advice

PEOPLE are being urged not to walk near the scene of the fire while asbestos debris is cleaned up.

But the risk is extremely low, according to a spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive.

Its inspectors went to the site yesterday after firefighters alerted it to the presence of asbestos debris in the area surrounding the fire.

The asbestos survey of the damaged building indicates the presence of corrugated asbestos cement roofing sheets. Those were extensively damaged during the fire and some debris is visible in the surrounding area, including the Vale Common near Fort Doyle.

‘This type of asbestos-containing-materials is less likely to release fibres. As asbestos poses a risk when fibres are inhaled, the larger pieces of asbestos cements are unlikely to release inhalable fibres unless they are disturbed,’ said the spokesman.

‘The inclement weather has dampened the asbestos-containing materials, and the risk of exposure to members of the public is currently extremely low.

A specialist contractor is dealing with the asbestos contamination on site on behalf of the site owner. As a consequence, we ask members of the public to avoid walking around the area while the clean-up operation takes place.’

. If you live in properties in the immediate vicinity of the fire (La Lande and La Route de la Lande) and you find debris in your garden, call Ricky Stevens at Beaucette Marina on 245000, where your details can be collated for the asbestos removal contractor to safely remove the debris. Do not attempt to do this yourself as you may become unnecessarily contaminated and could be exposed to asbestos fibres.