Agenda item

The Assistant Chief Fire Officer (ACFO) presented the report which provided Members with information relating to operational incidents of note. As the operational period had been very busy, the report detailed only the larger deployments or more complex incidents. As a result, some incidents that Members had been made aware of locally, may not have formed part of the report. Full details of the following incidents were provided in the report:

County Councillor D Howarth rejoined the meeting at 11:42.

• Residential building fire in Lancaster (26/8/25)
• Derelict commercial building fire in Preston (4/9/25)
• Domestic building fire in South Shore (7/9/25)
• Out of County Incident in West Yorkshire (9/9/25)
• Derelict building fire in Bacup (17/9/25)
• Sinkhole in Darwen (21/9/25)
• Derelict building fire in Blackpool (27/9/25)
• Commercial building fire in Fleetwood (28/9/25)
• Rescue from water in Blackburn (28/9/25)
• Fire in high rise building in Preston (27/10/25)

In response to a question from County Councillor M Ritson in relation to the out of county incident in West Yorkshire, the ACFO advised that the investigation into the cause of the incident was being managed by West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

County Councillor P Buckley left the meeting at 11:43.

In response to a question from County Councillor E Worthington in relation to the typical cause of a derelict building fire, the ACFO explained that although there was not a typical cause, derelict buildings were often left insecure. LFRS worked with building owners to ensure derelict buildings were boarded up appropriately. Area Manager (AM) Phil Jones added that the service worked with district councils to ensure properties were reboarded quickly, with the relevant council recharging the building owners with the cost.

County Councillor P Buckley rejoined the meeting at 11:46.

In response to a question from County Councillor R Walsh in relation to the effectiveness of utilising the second fire engine at two engine stations, the ACFO explained that the service was using resources effectively and performance was reported into the Performance Committee. The service continued to meet its response times and was satisfied it had enough resources to meet demand. County Councillor J Tetlow added that the response time for the first engine to arrive on scene was 5:50 minutes which was very quick. The ACFO added that this response time was comparable to times achieved by some metropolitan services.

Resolved: That the Authority noted and endorsed the report.

The ACFO introduced Station Manager (SM) Louis Davies who gave a presentation to members on the Sinkhole incident in Darwen on 21 September 2025.

The initial call was received at 07:20 with one fire engine, the station manager and drone team in attendance to work with the local authority to ensure the area was safe. Following a multi-agency meeting the service handed the incident back to the local authority at 12:30. The sink hole continued to develop and LFRS reattended at 17:20 and began to work with the mine remediation authority. A number of new hazards emerged including exposed live gas services to properties, the sink hole continuing to expand, the risk of the car and skip entering the sinkhole, the risk of explosion, the exclusion zone limiting firefighter tactics and managing public curiosity.

The multiagency objectives and priorities included the welfare of 60 properties and their residents, managing the risk of damage to the gas network, removing the risk of the car and skip falling into the sink hole, creating a stable environment in which to start filling the hole back in as soon as possible, ensuring the safety of responders and the wider public and creating an access and egress point for specialist fire and rescue equipment and other responding agencies.

Cadent attended and isolated the main gas supply coming into the estate, heaters and hot plates were provided to homes to support the welfare of residents. A gas vacuum was utilised to remove the gas quickly.

Blackburn and Darwen Council assisted in managing the welfare of evacuated residents, facilitated long term road closures and provided a constant site presence. They had also continued to support communities after the emergency phase.

The Mine Remediation Authority provided accurate risk information, sourced and funded a crane, sourced stone for a quicker resolution and provided a constant site presence.

Attendance by LFRS included a fire engine, station manager, group manager, the Urban Search and Rescue Team (USAR), aerial ladder platform (ALP) and command unit. LFRS gathered initial information, established water supplies should the incident escalate, assisted Cadent to notify residents of the gas supply being turned off, provided lighting at the scene and documented risks and hazards. The use of the ALP allowed for a defensive water application strategy, gathering of incident information and provided a high anchor for the USAR team to utilise. The command unit was utilised to coordinate partner communications and collate resident information. The USAR team attached slings to the vehicle and skip to extract them safely.

The ACFO thanked SM Louis Davies for his presentation and commended the multi-agency response.

County Councillor M Ritson remarked that he was in attendance during the incident and commended the organised and methodical response upon contacting the fire service. He expressed his thanks to everyone who attended the incident.

County Councillor E Worthington left the meeting at 12:07.

In response to a question from County Councillor L Parker in relation to the cost of the incident to the service, the ACFO explained that the cost of the crane was covered by the Mine Remediation Authority and there was no additional cost to the fire service outside the use of resources. In response to a further question from County Councillor L Parker the CFO explained that the service was statutory funded to respond to fires and other emergencies, and although the service could calculate a notional cost this was just one incident of many attended throughout the year.

At 12:08 County Councillor E Worthington rejoined the meeting and County Councillor R Walsh left the meeting.

In response to a question from County Councillor J Tetlow in relation to the relevant searches being carried out ahead of the new build site commencing construction, Councillor D Smith confirmed that the mining authority checks had been completed in relation to coal mines however this was a slate quarry from approximately 1830 and had not been picked up.

County Councillor R Walsh rejoined the meeting at 12:10.

County Councillor M Ritson asked if the occupants had returned to their houses, Councillor D Smith confirmed that the last update he had received was that the occupants of the three houses affected were still in temporary accommodation. County Councillor D Howarth remarked that the incident was alarming.

The Chair thanked SM Louis Davies for a good presentation.