Construction and renovation fires

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Fire backlights a renovation scaffold during the 2019 Notre-Dame de Paris fire. Hryq ktdry'y@ knys@ nwtrdm.jpg
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 Pozhar Troitse-Izmailovskogo sobora, SPb, 24.08.2006 - angely.jpg
Trinity Cathedral, Saint Petersburg in 2006; a fire started in the scaffolding

Fires are common in buildings under construction and renovation, and present particular difficulties to firefighters.

Contents

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
FireDateProbable causeRefs
SS Normandie 1942sparks from a welding torch, during conversion to troopship
Saint Boniface Cathedral 1968started in roof by worker's cigarette [4]
Nantes Cathedral 1972started in roof by worker with blowtorch [5]
Montreal Biosphere 1976started by worker with welding torch [6]
Hotel Margaret, Brooklyn1980possibly caused by heater used by workers [7]
MS Bergensfjord 1980fire broke out during reconstruction work, cause unknown [8]
Notre Dame de Lourdes, Fall River, Massachusetts1982started by worker with torch during restoration work [9]
Uppark, Sussex1989roof re-leading [10]
Windsor Castle 1992spotlight on curtains [3]
Limoges-Bénédictins station 1998 thermal conduction to timbers from hot working of copper roofing during restoration [11]
Central Synagogue, Manhattan1998 blowtorch used to install air conditioning on roof [12]
University of Kentucky Main Building 2001thought to be welding torch used to repair guttering [13] [14]
St. Catherine's Church, Gdańsk 2006started in roof, short circuit of a tinkered cable [15]
Trinity Cathedral, Saint Petersburg 2006originated in exterior scaffolding [16] [17]
Cutty Sark 2007industrial vacuum cleaner, AWOL firewatchers [18] [19]
Universal Studios Hollywood 2008started when worker used blowtorch to heat asphalt shingles [20]
Heydar Aliyev Center 2012negligent use of welding equipment [21]
Hôtel Lambert, Paris2013under investigation, started in roof [22] [23]
Basilica of St. Donatian and St. Rogatian, Nantes2015 oxy-fuel torch used to repair lead gutter[ citation needed ] [5]
Battersea Arts Centre, London2015under investigation, started in roof [24] [25]
Mackintosh Building, Glasgow School of Art (2018) 20182022 investigation report could not identify cause [26]
Notre-Dame de Paris 2019under investigation; as of 2020, thought to be either a cigarette or a short circuit in the temporary wiring for the reconstruction works [3] [27]
Børsen 2024under investigation [28]

See also

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References

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  2. U.S. Fire Administration (19 March 2019). "Fire prevention at buildings under renovation or construction". Coffee Break Bulletin.
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  21. "Fire at Heydar Aliyev Center extinguished". 20 July 2012. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
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