As a restaurant manager, we understand you want to keep your people, premises and customers safe. Fires can be devastating, not just for your people and premises but also the neighboring properties. There are many cases of fires spreading from the original source of ignition.
Did you know kitchen appliances account for 25% of all fires in restaurants? While cookers account for 23% and electrical distribution accounts for 17% of all fires. However, fires can be started in a variety of ways.
Here is our Top 10 worse fires since 2014
10. JRK Kitchen – London – September 2019
60 firefighters and 8 fire engines attended the incident at the restaurant in Bayswater, London. the fire was believed to have been in the basement and ground floor of the building.
Crews were able to stop the fire from spreading to neighboring flats.
9. Bengal Raj Indian Restaurant – Western-Super-Mare
Mr Zamshed Alam, the restaurant owner received 6 months behind bars after pleading guilty to eight offenses under the fire safety order. An investigation found numerous safety findings, including;
- Failure to have a suitable Fire Risk Assessment
- Failure to ensure the premises was equipped with appropriate fire detectors and alarms
- Failure to ensure that emergency routes and exits were fitted with adequate fire doors so that people could safely escape in the event of a fire.
8. Dynasty restaurant – Bristol
Mr Calvin Chong Chi Yin, owner of Dynasty restaurant received a suspended prison sentence after a fire broke out. Mr Chong is also under order to pay £2,000 in costs after admitting to six fire safety offenses including;
- A failure to take general fire precautions
- Not completing a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment
7. Gymkhana – London – June 2019
60 firefighters attended the Michelin starred Indian restaurant, which was badly damaged after a hige fire broke out. A large plume of smoke was seen across Mayfair, London.
The blaze stretched from the ground floor of the building all the way to the rood, with half the ground floor significantly damaged.
6. Ivy Restaurant – Manchester – January 2019
The ivy restaurant’s garden area remained closed for a month following the fire in January 2019. Aerial platforms had to be used to extinguish the blaze.
Diners who were eating at the time had to be evacuated before the fire service attended.
5. Steak & Co – London – January 2018
Nearly 60 firefighters tackled the blaze that ripped through the central London restaurant. The ventilation system caught alight, spreading to the first and second floor of the restaurant and a conjoined office block.
Fire crews from Soho, Lambeth, Islington, West Hampstead, Stoke Newington and Euston all attended.
4. Rick Stein Restaurant – Cornwall – June 2017
The restaurant came within minutes from being completely destroyed after a huge explosion was heard at 1 AM. Arson wasn’t ruled out at the time of the fire while it was investigated. The bin store was completely destroyed and branded a shell, however firefighters had managed to save the main restaurant before it was destroyed.
3. Olive Restaurant – London – March 2019
Two Greek restaurants owned by the same family suffered devastating blazes on the same night. The Olive restaurant in Hawker and the Olive restaurant in Mason suffered fires in March 2019.
The Olive restaurant in Hawker was significantly damaged after a passer by helped extinguish the blaze, while the Olive restaurant in Mason was left destroyed.
2. Royale Garden Restaurant – West Bromwich – January 2017
The Afro-Caribbean restaurant was destroyed in a devastating blaze which saw the town centre shut down while firefighters extinguished the blaze. 55 firefighters attended while roads within the city centre were closed off for several hours.
Residents in the flats above the restaurant were left without accommodation.
1. Fatz Diner – Darlington – December 2015
A former restaurant manager was jailed for 2 years following an arson attack which police believed was an act of vengeance. His co-defendant was also sentenced to 21 months in jail.
The pair were found guilty after the fire caused £168,000 worth of damage to the restaurant.
It’s never too early to act when it comes to fire safety. Accordingly if you need fire protection, do not hesitate to get in touch! Call 0738 883 5501 to get your quote today!