Construction and renovation fires

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Fire backlights a renovation scaffold during the 2019 Notre-Dame de Paris fire.
Trinity Cathedral, Saint Petersburg in 2006; a fire started in the scaffolding

Construction and renovation are common circumstances for fires, which present particular difficulties to firefighters.

Børsen fire, April 2024, Copenhagen, Denmark

During construction, buildings often do not have elements that would protect them from fire, such as walls and sprinkler systems.[1] Poor water supplies and the accumulation of flammable materials also present risks.[2] Works often require heat or even open flame, and these can set off fires that smoulder for hours before being noticed. For this reason, work sites may need 24-hour fire watches.[3]

Builder's risk insurance may cover damage from such fires.

Notable construction and renovation fires
Fire Date Probable cause Refs
SS Normandie 1942 sparks from a welding torch, during conversion to troopship
Saint Boniface Cathedral 1968 started in roof by worker's cigarette [4]
Nantes Cathedral 1972 an oxy-fuel torch used in the attic [5]
Montreal Biosphere 1976 spark from a welding torch being used on steel girders; welder's extinguisher proved empty, so fire spread to the acrylic glazing [6]
Hotel Margaret, Brooklyn 1980 possibly caused by space heater used by workers [7][failed verification]
MS Bergensfjord 1980 fire broke out during reconstruction work [8]
Notre Dame de Lourdes, Fall River, Massachusetts 1982 blowtorch set fire to roof timbers during restoration [9]
Uppark, Sussex 1989 roof re-leading [10]
Windsor Castle 1992 incandescent spotlight, permanently installed too close to the altar curtains behind which it was hidden, was accidentally turned on by restorers unfamiliar with the light switches; curtain decomposed over several days [3][11][12]
Limoges-Bénédictins station 1998 thermal conduction to timbers from hot working of copper roofing during restoration [13]
Central Synagogue, Manhattan 1998 blowtorch used to install air conditioning on roof [14]
University of Kentucky Main Building 2001 thought to be welding torch used to repair guttering [15][16]
St. Catherine's Church, Gdańsk 2006 started in roof, short circuit of a tinkered cable [17]
Trinity Cathedral, Saint Petersburg 2006 originated in exterior scaffolding [18][19]
Cutty Sark 2007 industrial vacuum cleaner was left on overnight and overheated; 24-hour firewatchers were absent and keeping false inspection logs [20][21]
Universal Studios Hollywood 2008 started when worker used blowtorch to heat asphalt shingles [22]
Heydar Aliyev Center 2012 negligent use of welding equipment [23]
Hôtel Lambert, Paris 2013 under investigation, started in roof [24][25]
Basilica of St. Donatian and St. Rogatian, Nantes 2015 oxy-fuel torch used to repair lead gutter[citation needed] [5]
Battersea Arts Centre, London 2015 under investigation, started in roof [26][27]
Mackintosh Building, Glasgow School of Art (2018) 2018 2022 investigation report could not identify cause [28]
Notre-Dame de Paris 2019 under investigation; as of 2020, thought to be either a cigarette or a short circuit in the temporary wiring for the reconstruction works [3][29]
Børsen 2024 under investigation [30]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Robertson, Homer (1 Jan 2011). "Fires in Buildings Under Construction". Fire Rescue Magazine.
  2. ^ U.S. Fire Administration (19 March 2019). "Fire prevention at buildings under renovation or construction". Coffee Break Bulletin.
  3. ^ a b c Captain, Sean (15 April 2019). "Notre-Dame fire: Why historic restorations keep going up in flames". Fast Company.
  4. ^ Bernhardt, Darren (22 July 2018). "'Absolute horror': Witnesses cried as fire consumed St. Boniface Cathedral 50 years ago". CBC News. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  5. ^ a b Damgé, Mathilde; Dagorn, Gary; Durand, Anne-Aël (16 April 2019). "Nantes, Lunéville, Windsor... les derniers grands incendies de bâtiments historiques". Le Monde (in French). Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  6. ^ "Fire Razes Dome Of U.S. At Expo Site". The New York Times. May 21, 1976. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
  7. ^ Tate, Francesca Norsen (7 February 2019). "Fire destroyed Hotel Margaret 39 years ago this week". Brooklyn Eagle. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  8. ^ "MS Bergensfjord (1956-1980)". Oppositelock. June 10, 2022.
  9. ^ "When Fall River's Notre Dame was also consumed by flames". The Herald News. 2019-04-15. Archived from the original on 2020-06-28. Retrieved 2020-06-26. See abbreviated version at: "Fall River’s Notre Dame was also consumed by flames" South Coast Today (same date), from The Standard-Times.
  10. ^ Glancey, Jonathan (8 April 1993). "High price of keeping up with 'heritage mania': The National Trust is". The Independent. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  11. ^ "The fire at Windsor Castle". www.rct.uk. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  12. ^ "Fire at Windsor Castle" (PDF). web.archive.org. Buckingham Palace. p. 11. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  13. ^ Dosne, René (March 1999). "Du martelage à chaud... le toit de la gare est ravagé" (PDF). Journal des sapeurs-pompiers suisses (in French). Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  14. ^ "3 years after fire, NYC Central Synagogue to reopen". The Jewish News. 14 September 2001.
  15. ^ "Administration Building Fire". UK Libraries. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  16. ^ "UK Main Building History". www.uky.edu. Archived from the original on 18 March 2005. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  17. ^ "Św. Katarzyna spłonęła przez "niefabrycznie reperowany przewód"?". trojmiasto.pl (in Polish). 28 November 2007. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  18. ^ (in Russian) Interfax > Politics Archived 2007-09-30 at the Wayback Machine
  19. ^ (in Russian) Интерфакс Archived 2007-09-30 at the Wayback Machine
  20. ^ London Fire Brigade; Metropolitan Police Service (29 September 2008). "Report on the investigation into the fire on board the clipper ship Cutty Sark, King William Walk, Greenwich, London SE10 on Monday 21st May 2007" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 November 2011. Retrieved 16 April 2010.
  21. ^ Justin, Davenport (30 September 2008). "Vacuum cleaner caused £10m Cutty Sark fire as guard slept". Evening Standard.
  22. ^ "Universal Studios fire sparked by blow torch". Reuters.com. June 2, 2008. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
  23. ^ "Fire at Heydar Aliyev Center extinguished". 20 July 2012. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  24. ^ "Hôtel Lambert in Paris Is Damaged by Fire" "Fire at the hôtel Lambert in Paris destroys 17th-century frescoes", The New York Times, 12 July 2013.
  25. ^ "Paris mansion Hotel Lambert seriously damaged by fire". bbc.co.uk. 10 July 2013. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  26. ^ Jubb, David (14 March 2015). "Save Battersea Arts Centre". National Funding Scheme. Archived from the original on 15 March 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  27. ^ Walker, Peter; Quinn, Ben; Rawlinson, Kevin (13 March 2015). "Fire severely damages Battersea Arts Centre in London". The Guardian.
  28. ^ "Publication of investigation report into June 2018 fire at The Glasgow School of Art". Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  29. ^ Waldek, Stefanie (15 April 2020). "Where Paris's Notre-Dame Cathedral Stands One Year After the Fire – The Tragedy". Architectural Digest. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  30. ^ "Copenhagen's historic stock exchange in flames". BBC. 16 April 2024.

External links[edit]

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