Displaying items by tag: fire

On 30 October a major fire erupted at the BAE Systems shipyard in Barrow, Cumbria, where the UK’s next-generation nuclear submarines are being constructed. Emergency services were called to the facility after the fire broke out around midnight. Local authorities assured residents there was no nuclear risk, but two people were hospitalised with suspected smoke inhalation. The shipyard, with a long history of submarine construction, has faced similar incidents in recent years, including a 2018 fire and a 2017 carbon monoxide leak. Thick smoke from the blaze, visible for miles, has raised concerns among locals, who were asked to avoid the area while emergency services worked to contain the fire.

A fire at a Christian wedding celebration in Iraq's Nineveh province, near \Mosul,  has resulted in over 100 deaths and at least 150 injuries. The blaze reportedly started after fireworks were lit during the celebration. Witnesses reported that the bride and groom survived, contrary to initial reports. The fire broke out in a large events hall, with up to 900 people in attendance. The building, made of highly flammable construction materials, quickly collapsed. Preliminary findings suggest that the hall's exterior was decorated with illegal, highly flammable cladding. Ambulances and medical crews were dispatched to the site, and efforts are being made to provide relief to those affected. The number of Christians in Iraq has significantly decreased in recent years, with the current estimate at 150,000 compared to 1.5 million in 2003.

A fire has destroyed Greece's Moria migrant camp on Lesbos. 13,000 are sleeping rough in fields, car parks and roads. Authorities have sent three ships to temporarily shelter 2,000 and are working to provide emergency accommodation near the destroyed camp. Germany called the blaze a ‘humanitarian disaster.’ Some locals attacked and prevented fleeing migrants from passing through their village. The UNHCR said it was aware of ‘tensions’ between nearby townsfolk and the migrants. Pray for those working to arrange shelter for 13,000 refugees. 70% are Afghani with 30% from 70 different countries. Authorities placed Moria under quarantine last week after a Somali migrant tested positive for the coronavirus. There are now 35 confirmed cases.

Flames rapidly spread and destroyed all four floors of wooden-framed homes in Worcester Park, London. 125 firefighters and 20 fire engines arrived in the early hours of 9 September and took five hours to control the blaze. The residents have lost everything, and most fled the fire in only the clothes they were wearing. Members of a nearby Baptist church were up since the early hours, providing help. They are now linking with the council to work out the best response they can offer after being deluged by donations from the local community. They are aiming to meet practical and spiritual needs in the situation. Pray for the residents who have to look at the shell of a building that used to be their home, and are left wondering what the future holds. See

otre Dame suffered desecration during the 1789 French Revolution and was restored by 1804, when it was the venue for Napoleon’s coronation as emperor of France. A restoration project between 1844 and 1864 added the cathedral's iconic spire, which was destroyed in a fire on 15 April when Notre Dame was undergoing renovation. Fortunately the copper statues that were normally on the now collapsed spire had been removed a week earlier in the renovation process, and both towers were also safe, but two-thirds of the roof was destroyed. Many artefacts were saved before the fire spread to other parts of the cathedral. France will invite architects from around the world to submit designs for a new spire that is adapted to the techniques and the challenges of our era, as thoughts turn to how to reconstruct what has been lost. President Macron vowed it will be rebuilt ‘even more beautifully’. See

Townsville, with 180,000 people, has been facing tropical cyclones, king tides and drenching summer rain. Over a metre of rain fell in seven days, leaving many residents without power; others were cut off by flooded roads. The Ross River dam flooded beyond capacity, necessitating the opening of gates and the release of 1,900 cubic metres of water a second. 20,000 homes were flooded. A flotilla of boats rescued hundreds, with police, emergency services and soldiers stretched to the limit. Authorities have now warned residents not to swim in flooded suburbs, where crocodiles and snakes have been spotted. More monsoon rain is forecast for next week. Meanwhile, parts of southern Australia are in the grip of a severe drought, and record temperatures of 49.5C have caused bushfires and hospital admissions. See

Firefighters fear that a change in wind direction across a moorland fire could put life in danger. It is currently growing and could take weeks to extinguish. Fire chiefs say it is the worst moorland fire in living memory to hit Saddleworth. The impact could be seen from space by Nasa satellites picking up smoke plumes. Air quality levels in and around Manchester are being monitored regularly. A handful of local schools have been closed. Experts warned that high levels of pollutants generated from the blaze could have a significant effect on people’s health. By 28 June 100 soldiers were being trained by the fire services. The fire had covered seven square miles. The active ‘fire front’ stretched 2.5 miles and an RAF Chinook helicopter was made available. The public are advised to keep country lanes free from cars so that the emergency services can access them easily. Pray for firefighters working rolling 12-hour shifts. Pray for a downpour of rain.

The Salvation Army has been praised for its support for members of the emergency services who responded to a fire at the Glasgow School of Art, in a building which had been undergoing a multi-million-pound restoration project. Volunteers prepared hot rolls and Irn Bru drinks for police officers and firefighters who were called to the landmark Mackintosh Building on the night of 15 June. The fire service’s chief officer, Alasdair Hay, praised the ‘warm-hearted’ response of both the Salvation Army and emergency crews. The Salvation Army rarely receives the recognition it deserves as it works with children and families, the homeless, the elderly, and those in poverty. It influences social policy and is involved in removing modern slavery and domestic abuse.

Rescuers do not expect further survivors in the block of flats engulfed by fire on 14-15 June. At the time of writing 17 are confirmed dead, and there are ‘unknown numbers’ of people in the smouldering ruins of Grenfell Tower, Kensington. Pray for the friends and relatives desperately seeking news of the missing. Thirty people remain in hospital; pray for God to be with the nurses, doctors, clinicians and families of the patients. Tributes are being paid to the bravery of the emergency services and members of the public who assisted. Pray for those suffering from trauma to receive appropriate care - particularly those who had to watch while others burned in the inferno. There has been an overwhelmingly generous response to the tragedy - see It is too early to speculate what caused the fire or contributed to its spread, but health, safety and fire prevention concerns had been raised by residents. Pray for the forthcoming investigations.

Hundreds of homes have been evacuated in Christchurch as a huge wildfire raged on its outskirts. One pilot has died in a helicopter crash, and least eleven homes have burned down. A state of emergency has been declared, and the military has been deployed to help firefighters. It is unclear what caused the fire; prime minister Bill English has said that it looked suspicious, and investigations are continuing. The fire broke out in two separate places on Monday in the dry hills south of the city, before merging into one blaze which now covers about 1,800ha. More than 130 firefighters have been deployed, along with 14 helicopters and three aircraft. A total of 400 homes have been evacuated by police, but hundreds of other people have also chosen to leave the area. A police spokesman warned people that fires can change direction and move quickly, giving little time to escape. ‘If you're worried, don't leave it too late - it's better to be safe than sorry.’