Latest news with #fireincident
Irish Times
a day ago
- Automotive
- Irish Times
HSE begins ‘urgent examination' after two ambulances catch fire in a week
An urgent examination is under way after two HSE ambulances went on fire over the last week. The HSE said a new community paramedic response ambulance, awaiting entry to service, caught fire in a vehicle commissioning facility in Tullamore, Co Offaly on Thursday. It said a recently-commissioned emergency ambulance was destroyed in a blaze while parked adjacent to Castlebar ambulance station in Co Mayo early last Saturday. The HSE said neither vehicle was in use at the time of the fires and no patients or staff were injured. READ MORE 'While the two vehicles affected are different makes, models, and types, an initial technical examination has identified a possible issue, which is now being urgently explored in further detail with vehicle suppliers,' it said in a statement on Friday. In line with health and safety requirements, all staff on duty had been alerted to the two incidents, it added. The HSE said staff have been advised to remain vigilant and reminded of fire safety, vehicle evacuation and incident reporting procedures. It said services operated by the National Ambulance Service (NAS) for the public were 'unaffected by the current precautionary measures, which will remain under constant review'. The NAS currently has 437 patient-carrying vehicles, including emergency and critical care ambulances and intermediate care vehicles. The HSE said all NAS vehicles were subject to a crew inspection at the commencement of each shift, as well as a safety inspection every eight weeks. It said all vehicles were constructed in line with the relevant national and EU standards, were serviced and maintained in line with manufacturers' guidelines, and replaced at five years or after covering 350,000km, in line with the NAS fleet replacement policy. 'A serious incident management team has been established, and both incidents are being managed in line with the HSE's incident management framework,' it added. A HSE internal audit of the national ambulance fleet last year found the budget allocation for last year was 50 per cent deficient in terms of the funding needs of the service. It identified that some emergency ambulances were being kept in service outside the recommended usage of five years, with 66 ambulances listed as five or six years old.
CTV News
2 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Russell Reid Public School in Brantford to remain closed for last day of school
As Thursday marks the end of the school year for elementary school students at Russell Reid Public School in Brantford, they won't be able to attend classes for a final goodbye. In an email to CTV News, the Grand Erie District School Board said the school would stay closed for Thursday. Friday would also keep students home for professional development day, more commonly known as a PD Day. The school board said staff had been relocated to a different location in the meantime. The school board's decision to keep Russell Reid Public School closed came after a fire involving a small box fan ignited in one of the school's classrooms Tuesday at around 10:30 p.m. They said poor air quality caused by the fire led to the closure.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Moment £50,000 electric Mercedes EQA explodes after suspected battery fault - destroying two other cars parked nearby
This is the terrifying moment a suspected faulty battery caused an electric car to spontaneously burst into flames and explode. James Musonda, 33, from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, has spoken of the 'horrific' incident, saying he 'could've died' had he been in the car and his young daughter was just metres away in the house. The ravaging blaze also destroyed two other cars nearby and the road itself. He was woken by the loud explosion, thinking a tree had fallen on his home until he looked outside to see flames rising from his Mercedes EQA. After checking on his wife and daughter, Mr Musonda rushed downstairs but was unable to leave because the fierce blaze engulfed the road. Shocking footage shows the car was steadily smoking for a number of seconds before suddenly exploding - with a nearby fence and garden shed later catching fire. Fire crews attended the scene until midday the next day - moving the car from the road to a nearby grass verge. The father-of-one claims Mercedes is refusing to investigate because the car was leased through his company via the Tusker salary sacrifice car scheme. The pensions consultant said: 'It was horrific. I thought it was a tree that had fallen or something on the house - it was terrifying. 'When I realised it was my car I was screaming and hysterical. All I could see was flames when I opened the door. 'My daughter was in the house...I could have died if I was in that car.' 'We couldn't get out the house because of the flames in front of the house. The fire brigade managed to get us out, but it kept making little explosions. 'We're very shaken up - if I see an electric car I stay well away from it.' Mr Musonda's car was recalled by Mercedes for work in October 2024, but he wasn't told why. He said: 'They needed to bring it in for safety work and they had it until mid-January. 'They didn't give me any report on what the issue was and what they had done. They said there was nothing to be paid, and it was all under warranty. Six weeks later, it explodes.' But Mercedes is refusing to investigate the fire or accept responsibility and are taking away the courtesy car provided, the father has claimed. He said: 'Initially, they provided me with another car and they would investigate. Now they are taking it away. After checking on his wife and daughter, Mr Musonda, rushed downstairs but was unable to leave because the fierce blaze engulfed the road 'About a month ago they sent me an email to say that Tusker should be investigating it because the lease was through them and that Mercedes had nothing to do with it. 'I contacted Tusker, and they said they were waiting for Mercedes factory representatives to see it and Mercedes again say it's not their fault. 'They haven't acknowledged me or shown any sympathy at all. 'I've asked what work was done when they had the car from October to January and they've ignored me. 'Tusker just provide the agreement; Mercedes deliver the car to me. It's a Mercedes car, their build.' MailOnline have contacted Mercedes and Tusker for comment.
CBS News
3 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Stockton's Emergency Food Bank continues to serve despite 3 fires in a week
Stockton's Emergency Food Bank went from serving food to scooping ashes for a third time in the past week after an overnight fire. "Somebody threw a incendiary device into our piles of cardboard," Community Relations Manager Alesha Pichler said. "It was actually a bundle of cardboard and started that fire. It's been quite the week." The second fire was caused by leftover smoldering ashes, burning parts of their garden the following day. "It started last Wednesday when some unhoused population residents that lives right behind us needed to start a fire for some reason," Pichler explained. "Unfortunately, the weather conditions were such that the wind kind of took over and continued to burn the dry grass, burning up a tree and coming over onto our property." The third blaze ignited at 3 a.m. Wednesday and damaged an entire shipping container with thousands of dollars worth of donations. "There were 18 pallets of donated items and goods that were to go out to the community that now are basically garbage, because we can't give that out," Pichler said. But despite the flames, the food bank is rising from the ashes by continuing to serve hundreds of those in need. "We didn't stop operations. We continue to give out the food that the community needs to survive. We couldn't do it without our volunteers. We're grateful for them and now here they are helping us with the cleanup efforts," she said. Now, they're hoping the community can also help them so they can continue to help others. "Any time there has been a call for help, maybe we're short on turkeys, or we're short on food, or we have no food, the community always comes together," Pichler continued. "If you can do a food drive at your place of business or amongst friends, please give us a call. If you just want to do a monetary donation, please just log on to our website."
Arab News
4 days ago
- Arab News
Five dead, five injured as passenger bus catches fire in southwestern Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Five persons were killed and five others were injured in southwestern Pakistan on Tuesday after a passenger bus caught fire following its collision with a three-wheeled qingqi rickshaw, a senior official said. The incident took place on the Western Bypass road in Balochistan's provincial capital Quetta, the provincial government's spokesperson Shahid Rind said. He said the passenger bus caught fire after colliding with the qingqi, which was reportedly carrying petrol. 'We express our heartfelt sympathy to the families of the passengers who died in the tragic accident,' Rind said in a statement. 'The injured are being provided with immediate and best medical assistance.' Three of the injured are being treated in the city's Civil Hospital while two have been admitted to the Bolan Medical Complex, Rind said. He said the provincial government has started probing the incident, adding that strict action will be taken against all those found responsible for the accident once the investigation is completed. 'All possible help and support will be provided to the affected families,' Rind said. Road accidents are frequent in southwestern Pakistan, where drivers often lack proper training and often disregard traffic rules and regulations. In April, 19 people were killed and over 40 injured in an oil tanker blast that took place in Balochistan's Nushki district.
