News: Dearne fire station sets on fire several times a day

The recently opened £5.5m Dearne community fire station sets on fire several times a day.

National architectural practice Bond Bryan describes the fire training facility on the site as the most technologically advanced in the UK.

It has been specially designed to be set on fire several times a day and create realistic conditions likely to be encountered in many types of real fire situations.

Stephen Mitchell, associate director at Bond Bryan admits the building was an unusual brief: "Designing a building which has to be frequently, and safely, set on fire demands an alternative design approach from our standard practice of ensuring buildings don't catch fire.

"For the training building we had to provide a range of realistic scenarios that fire-fighters may experience in real emergencies, such as live carbonaceous burns, working at height and flash-over training. Sophisticated specialist computer controlled equipment ensures scenarios can be created and accurately reproduced on demand."

Constructed by North Midland Building Ltd, the facility is built of reinforced concrete, robust engineering bricks and dense block work and is designed to last much longer.

It is also designed to be environmentally sustainable and incorporates the use of 100m deep ground source heat pumps linked to the underfloor heating, rainwater harvesting and photovoltaic panels.

Additionally, a wild flower meadow has been planted to increase biodiversity and provide habitats for new species of insects and wildlife. Bond Bryan worked with project managers Turner & Townsend on the building.

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue website
Bond Bryan website

Images: South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue