Burning Ears
Thursday 2nd May 1974
Times Furnishing High Street / Ram Yard Bedford
Time 1023
Several fires come to mind that were extremely hot and most uncomfortable, the one I remember most was at Times Furnishing 53 High Street Bedford, and a well known and busy place. It was a weekday morning and the town centre was busy. Sub. Officer Jock Booth was the O.I.C. In charge of our pump, we had been mobilized from Kempston Fire Station.
As we arrived at the front of the shop it was obvious we had a major fire to deal with. No flames could be seen but the windows were black and cracked. Jock shouted “Get a B.A.*{1} set on Mick, and I am coming in with you.” Whilst we were getting rigged a hose was being laid out and charged. The large plate glass window at the front was soon dealt with and was made our entry point. Bedford Pumps had arrived at the rear of the building in Ram yard; Sub Officer Horner sent a message at 1026 “Building well alight.” At 1027 a make up message was sent by Sub Officer Horner, “make pumps five” *{2} “Stage one B.A. in use.” Sub Officer (Jock) Booth was in the lead, we dragged a charged length of hose with a hand controlled branch *{3} into the showroom. As we entered through the hole in the plate glass window the heat hit us immediately. We were in the main part of the shop, quite a large area. As we progressed we had to clear a pathway through the furniture so that any other B.A. teams following us would be heading in the correct direction and had no obstacles to negotiate. As well as the heat we were also working hard and the furniture removal took some time. We could hear the fire in front of us but the thick acrid smoke prevented us from seeing anything. The Bedford crew was working at the rear of the shop and had a different entry point the fire was being driven our way, so was the heat. it was so hot that Jock feared a flashover, *{4} the furniture we were moving to one side was getting extremely hot, as well as perspiration running into my eyes my ears were blistering and we were both getting weak. “Mick bring the hose we must withdraw” we were retracing our steps carefully as the heat became more intense Jock decided we had to move faster, “Mick leave the hose, get out.”
We stumbled through the hole in the window and out onto pathway outside the shop, we both laid down exhausted, I had my mask removed and eased myself out off my B.A. set, then handed my B.A. Tally* {5} to the entry control officer.
Whilst we were inside a lot had been happening on the outside. At 1044 Divisional Officer Hull sent another assistance message, “make pumps eight” other entry points had been established closer to the seat of the fire. The High street had been closed; Police and Ambulance were in attendance.
The control unit had arrived and a team from workshops.*{6} There were now plenty of firemen to work a succession of relief B.A. crews. After a glass of cool water and a rest we both felt much better and carried on with other duties. Bedford crews at the rear of the building had hit the fire with water jets and managed to bring it under control. There was a lot of fire, heat and smoke damage.
The high street in Bedford has a lot of Victorian shops and some earlier buildings; a few with basements and three storey’s high, most are adjoining. This made the fire ground a high risk area.
Photo: Above Taking refreshment outside Times Furnishing after a punishing time inside. L–R Fm. Les Goddard, Fm. Mick Gurr, Fm. Dave Cox, Fm. Peter Harrison, L. Fm Ollie Morgan.
Photograph: By kind permission, Bedfordshire Newspapers
Times Furnishing closed down some years ago and after various occupants it is now the home of a public house/ restaurant, named The Littern Tree. The frontage of the building has changed; it now has an open gallery. In fine weather customers enjoy their drinks watching the high street traffic. I recently paid a visit just to retrace my steps out of interest. It has a fine interior the large long room is still in place.
Bedford High Street
2nd May 1974
1. Breathing Apparatus.
2. Make up: The total number of pumps required this could be added too should more appliances be required, on the above this fire required a total of eight pumps.
3. Branch, See Photograph below.
4. I have included notes below about Flashovers on other pages.
5. B.A. Tally returned: This was a piece of plastic with a lot of information on as required by the entry control officer, i.e. cylinder pressure, my name, time of entry ECT.
6. Brigade Workshops were occasionally sent onto the Fire ground to maintain pumps and equipment. Mobile Control with staff was also sent on when large fires were in progress.
© Michael Gurr 2007
The Branch, held by Fm. Ali Rundall and Fm. Trevor Lee
Pump Operator Fm. Gurr
Photograph H. Sedgwick
Flashover
A flashover is the near simultaneous ignition of all combustible material in an enclosed area.
Flashover occurs when the majority of surfaces in a space are heated to the point (known as fire point) at which they give off flammable gases that are hot enough to sustain combustion. Flashover normally occurs at 500 °C (930 °F) for ordinary household combustibles.
The classic example of flashover is where a piece of furniture is set alight in a domestic room. The fire on the furniture produces a layer of hot smoke across the ceiling in the room. The radiated heat from this layer causes pyrolysis (heating of the other surfaces in the room, causing them to give off flammable gases). When the surface temperatures become high enough, these gases ignite and, in the space of a few seconds, every surface in the room may be on fire.
When the phenomenon occurs in open air, it is called a firestorm.
My Mistake
It would be true to say that The Fire and Rescue Services are in recent years kept busier with road accidents and associated rescues than fires. It may also be true to say this all changed with the introduction of motorways and faster cars. There has also been a lot more car ownership in recent years. The Fire Service do excellent rescue work in this field of their operations, they have sophisticated equipment and expert training.
Although I was a driver in the Fire Service for twenty years I would never class myself as a good driver in fact to this day I still think the same way, furthermore I do not enjoy driving, some do and many make a living driving, others use the car for transport or pleasure.
On rare occasions fire appliances are also involved in accidents, I was involved in one myself. I am unable to find any record of this accident so
I will rely on memory. Sometime around 1100 on a weekday we were called to a reported fire at Haws Court Bedford, a little known road situated off Harper Street. The area was in the main used as a service road for adjacent shops. I was the driver and Lfm. Tim Hatton was the O.I.C. The appliance was a rather a top heavy vehicle and not much head room in the cab. They were always difficult to drive with a fire helmet on; therefore I placed it on the large dashboard. First we turned right into Southfield’s Road then right again into Elstow Road, under a railway bridge and we had a clear swing left into the A6 Ampthill Road. As I recovered from the left turn my helmet slid across the dashboard and jammed firmly behind the steering wheel, Despite my, and the Lfm. Best efforts the steering wheel was firmly stuck and we collided with a tree.
Nobody was hurt so we quickly inspected the damage. The mudguard was firmly bent onto the front nearside wheel. The L.fm took one look and decided the action, “Right let’s get the steel shod lever off the top”. This was a large leaver we carried for this sort of situation. We got to work on the mudguard and prized it clear, we were soon mobile again and booked in attendance a few minutes later. Fortunately for us the Bedford crew had dealt with the situation by the time we had arrived.
On the return journey I was worried; the accident had been my fault and no doubt about that. My first job was to make out an accident report; however a member of the crew suggested I visit workshops first; that was a good idea. Roy Peck was the workshops manager, I explained the situation, “Get it round hear Mick I will see what we can do, in the meantime make out that report.” I knew all the workshops staff well, they were always most helpful.
I made out the report form stating exactly as things happened and took the appliance with report to Mr. Peck in workshops. “If you get a shout that’s O.K. we will not take it off the run, pick it up from hear.” “Thanks so much see you after lunch,” I was not sure how they could fix that. But fix it they did over the lunch hour, it was as good as new. “Mick that report is not required you can destroy it”. I thanked all concerned and drove the few yards back to the station, as I left I noticed an appliance with a nearside mudguard well damaged! Good Switch.
Below: Authors Collection.
Unable to fix this one over lunch
Road Traffic Accidents
R.T.A.s.
Of the many road accidents I attended over the course of nearly 24 years with the fire service several have remained with me, from time to time in my mind I recall them. We in the fire service, our colleagues in the police force and ambulance service many times comforted those who were dying and took care of those who were dead, often comforting relatives who may have escaped injury and were sometimes watching our efforts from the roadside. The police were very good and gently steered onlookers away from the scene and led others to a safe place, they also had to deal with the passing traffic and congestion, as well as take statements.
Wednesday 3rd December 1975 time 1650: We, the duty watch at Kempston were having an unofficial cup of tea before going off duty at 1700. We heard emergency vehicles of the police and ambulance service passing nearby. At 1656 our station alarm sounded, over the tannoy system came the message. “Water tender ladder to a road traffic accident A5140* Wootton turn, persons reported.” We booked mobile at 1657 with Sub Officer Ian Simpson in charge, Leading Fireman Derek Hogg was ordered on from Bedford fire station at the same time with the rescue unit. Station Officer Dave Grunwell was also mobilized. We booked in attendance at the incident at 1703 with Station Officer Grunwell, and Leading Fireman Hogg two minutes later.
Right from the very start this was a very difficult rescue. The car a Hillman Avenger was nose down in a steep ditch and against a tree. It took a few seconds for me to fully grasp the situation; I soon realized that this was a horrendous accident and an appalling injury. The car had been traveling towards Marston probably to get onto the M1. A County Council lorry was going in the other direction, a road sign had come off the lorry. One of the upright angle iron’s holding the sign had gone through windscreen and straight into the driver’s throat, then dividing his spine and out of his back near to the shoulder. Then it entered the back rest part of the driver’s seat; it was amazing that this casualty was still conscious and apparently aware of what was happening. An informative message was sent from Station Officer Grunwell at 1708. “One male person trapped in car efforts being made to extricate”
There was very little room to maneuver with our cutting equipment in such a confined space, a decision was soon taken to remove the roof of the car thus gain better access, this helped the situation and we set to work. First by cutting the metal angle iron about six inches from the entry point in his throat, then move him forward to free him from the seat. Great care had to be taken at all times especially as we lifted him out of the car and up the steep bank onto the waiting stretcher. Fm. Les Goddard went with the ambulance to the hospital; he helped keep the casualty stable on the stretcher during the journey. Our casualty was safe and on his way to hospital I knew he would be in good hands. At 1721 the stop message was sent.
Having worked in casualty and the operating theatres, I pondered for a brief second, how on earth would the doctors deal with that? To try to remove this large piece of metal would present so many difficulties and dangers, and the alternative of leaving it in place? I knew what the eventual outcome would be.
The unfortunate driver of the car was a Mr. David Barnes age 24 from Guildford Surrey. Incredibly Mr. Barnes survived 13 days before he died; he had been conscious and aware of his surroundings during this time. His consultant surgeon was Mr. John Watts, a former army doctor. Mr. Watts told the inquest that hospital staff had been able to communicate with him by blinks and clapping. A verdict of accidental death was recorded.