Colin Bridewell, a warehouse supervisor for Banner, the sports and school equipment manufacturer, is being hailed a hero by his local fire services and his colleagues.
An employee of 17 years, Bridewell took action to extinguish a blaze when an electrical fire started inside an overhead lighting fixture at the premises in Trowbridge, Wiltshire.
Local firefighters arriving on the scene after the alarm system was initiated praised his quick actions in stopping a fire that potentially put warehouse workers lives at risk and decimated £450,000 worth of stock held the industrial property. Thanks to Bridewell, the fire service was able to cancel other measures automatically activated by the potential risk.
Bridewell commented:
“I could see the fire and realised it could easily spread to the racks of stock on the level above. Our stock is all wrapped in plastic and the flames were already licking up. I grabbed the fire extinguisher, ran down the row and used it.”
When the first extinguisher ran out, Bridewell got a second and took on the dangerous blaze from the second level until it was fully smothered.
Members of the fire brigade investigating the incident confirmed the fire was sparked by a failure in a light ballast.
Businesses operating warehouses should ensure all electrical systems are regularly checked by a certified professional to avoid faults that can quickly become fire hazards. Whether the premises are in Trowbridge or Chester, an industrial electrician with the correct credentials should always conduct such an important test.
