Sad to watch

[JamieMcC]

I had a ringside view as the shipyard sheds where I spent around 15years working went up in smoke today and felt quiet sad to see them destroyed they used to build  destroyers and in them during the WWII so had a lot of history. More recently the site had been divided up into dozens of small business premises now all destroyed including a whole fleet of racing yachts stored in one section, the main shed was about 100 meters long.
first two pics from the local press last one mine and the view from the end of my workshop

(https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/t31.0-8/12615392_1081185978601981_8082098944078317271_o.jpg)
(https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtf1/t31.0-8/12615499_1081195328601046_3070072156001476681_o.jpg)
(https://www.head-fi.org/image/id/8317155/width/900/height/900/flags/LL)

[Doc B.]

Wow, very sad.

[JamieMcC]

Little bit more info is emerging, the fire was apparently the result of a nut/bolt being ground off on a car in a garage on the site. Also located on the site about 100ft away from the start of the fire is marine safety training company which specializes in advanced training seamen in confined space fire fighting on ships. They have been doing this do on the site for around 8 years (at a guess) and run courses regularly in a large mock up they have. Now it turns out from a eye witness that the staff instructors responded very quickly and were tacking the fire pumping large amounts of sea water using some big industrial pumps and  had the fire contained. When the fire brigade arrived and they were ordered to withdraw due to insurance/safety reasons the first fire engine was not able to put half the amount of water on the fire and within 15 minuets the fire was out of control!

[mcandmar]

Yet another example of health and safety gone mad when marine safety instructors cant do anything without the proper paperwork and high visibility vests

[Doc B.]

Hopefully those marine fire safety instructors end up with a nice fat contract training the local firefighters how to tell a big pump from a little one.