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REVISIONS TO PART B (FIRE SAFETY) OF BUILDING REGS ANNOUNCED - 19th Dec 2006

A  package of measures aiming to improve fire safety, including greater recognition of the role of sprinklers and more help for fire fighters to deal with fires in tall buildings, have been announced by the Government today (19 December).

The revisions to Part B (Fire safety) of the Building Regulations, and supporting guidance in Approved Document B, reflect recent experiences of actual fires; developments in construction; research findings; and comprehensive stakeholder engagement -including a four-month public consultation exercise.

The Building Regulations are made under the Building Act 1984, as amended. The fire safety aspects are set out in Part B of Schedule 1 of the Building Regulations 2000, as amended. Part B contains functional (i.e. performance-based) fire safety requirements set out in terms of what is reasonable, adequate or appropriate. Approved Document B (AD B) provides technical guidance on complying with the requirements of Part B.

As Workplace Law’s Fire Safety 2006: Special Report explains, “the review of AD B began in 2003 … The exercise revealed that people wanted significant changes to the regulations to be highlighted and more explanation of the changes, to show how and why new guidance differs, and why specific changes were required. Three strong common themes emerged:

• fire safety management and particularly the importance of ensuring that information about the fire safety design of buildings is passed onto the person responsible for its management;

• the important role of residential sprinklers; and 

• the need for clearer guidance about means of escape for disabled people."

Between July and August 2005 the Government carried out a consultation on the proposed changes. The consultation document and the summary of responses to it are available on the Communities and Local Government website at: www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1131416.

The changes to Part B, which have been announced today, come into force on 6 April 2007 and will affect future building work in England and Wales - including the erection, extension or material alteration of a building, and how fire safety is designed into a building.

For non-domestic buildings, the key changes include the introduction of a maximum unsprinklered compartment size for single storey warehouses, new guidance on residential care homes (including on the use of sprinklers) and a new requirement to ensure occupiers are made aware of their building's fire protection measures so as to assist with the preparation of fire risk assessments under the new Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order regime. It is important that provisions must be fully evidence-based and justified and are taken forward in a robust and efficient manner.

The changes to the Building Regulations also include the authorisation of several new competent persons self-certification schemes that will enhance compliance, particularly in respect of the energy efficiency requirements of the Regulations, and a number of other minor amendments, which will come into force on 15 January.

Sept 15th OUR CHILDREN MUST BE KEPT SAFE

Parents have spoken of their shock today that only three schools in the whole of South Wales have got sprinklers.

And they have echoed a fire chief's call for them to be fitted in new and refurbished schools.

The three schools are in Bridgend, Newport and Margam - even the new school Ysgol Gyfun Garth Olwg, in Pontypridd, has not been fitted.

The disclosure came in the aftermath of a devastating blaze at 131-year-old Coedpenmaen Primary School, Pontypridd, which completely gutted the junior block and library.

South Wales' Chief Fire Officer Brian Fraser said: 'Fires in schools are still too common and we now see an increase in the number of fires during school hours, like the one at Coedpenmaen.

'Amazingly, given the overwhelming evidence, even new buildings are not always fitted with sprinkler systems.'

He added: 'While some councils in South Wales are beginning to champion the cause locally, others are letting the absence of central direction and worries about water damage cloud their judgement.'

Parents of pupils at Coedpenmaen said sprinklers should be mandatory in all new schools.

Most of the 282 children were outside on lunch break when fire ripped through the junior block on Monday, and parents said the outcome could have been tragic if the blaze had broken out earlier or later in the day.

Cardiff council worker Claire Lewis, 34, whose five-year-old daughter Holly was evacuated, said: 'I didn't know it didn't have sprinklers. It's shocking. Our children were in that school. If they had had sprinklers, the fire might not have caused all this damage. They need to look at it, definitely, to make it safer for our kids. It just makes you think: if the kids had been in the school, would we have lost lives?'

Gareth Lewis, who works for L'Oreal, has a five-year-old son, Sion, at Coedpenamen.

Gareth, 33, said: 'It's a very old building so I'm not really surprised it didn't have sprinklers, but all new buildings should have them, and hopefully Coedpenmaen's replacement will.'

A Rhondda Cynon Taf council spokeswoman said: 'We do not fit sprinkler systems in our schools, although we are aware that this is a recommendation from the Fire Service.

'We will be looking again at this issue in the future, and their use will form part of our Capital Building Strategy.'

It is estimated that the cost of installing a sprinkler system in a school of around 210 pupils is £100,000. Fire safety campaigners say fire in schools caused more than £83m damage in 2004.

Ysgol Bro Ogwr in Bridgend and the new £6.0m primary in Rogerstone are among the three schools in South Wales to have a sprinkler system. Cardiff council has confirmed none of its schools have sprinklers, but it says that around £3m has been spent in the last two years on fire precaution which includes upgrading fire alarms.

A council spokesperson added that consideration will continue to be given to the possibility of funding sprinkler systems in the future especially in new buildings.

Bridgend County Borough council confirmed one school had an additional sprinkler system but added that all schools have fire alarm systems. A council spokesman added: 'Plans are in place to install sprinkler systems at a number of other local schools.'

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council said installation of systems costing £100,000 was not possible due to limited resources. Instead the council says it spend money on fire prevention measures such as high-powered security lighting, secure bin stores and upgrading fire alarms

In a statement the council said priority had been given to new school builds and, based on current proposals, more than 12 per cent of primary schools would have sprinkler systems by 2010.

Sept 12th   SCHOOLS WARNED: PUT IN SPRINKLERS OR RISK A FIRE

FIREFIGHTERS have warned that school buildings are at risk of going up in smoke because they have not installed sprinkler systems.

Research by the London Fire Brigade revealed that fewer than 10 of the 2,474 local authority-run schools in the capital have sprinkler systems.

Between 2001 and 2005, firefighters were called to 105 school fires in Southwark, 44 in Wandsworth, 39 in Lambeth and 37 in Lewisham.

Val Shawcross, Chairwoman of London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA), said: "This is not just about making sure the buildings are safe for the children using them.

"It is also about ensuring that if fires do break out there are systems in place to stop the school buildings themselves from burning down and the disruption to community life that a fire in a school can cause. We have done our sums and our message is simple: 'Schools plus sprinklers equals safe kids and buildings'."

In April, there was a fire at St Joseph's RC School in George Row, Southwark. Cavendish School in Rotherhithe was forced to close for two days in May 2004, after a blaze broke out. The Lower Waverley School site in Peckham Rye, East Dulwich, which is set to become the Harris Boys' Academy next September, was also burnt in a fire.

The fire brigade and LFEPA have asked the Government to include sprinklers in new safety guidance due to be published by the Department for Education and Skills later this year. Education bosses have pledged to consider investing in sprinkler systems as part of school renovation work.

Councillor Heidi Alexander, deputy mayor of Lewisham, said: "We are committed to fitting sprinkler systems wherever possible as part of our £255million Building Schools for the Future programme. Sprinklers give additional protection for staff and students as well as our school buildings."

A Southwark council spokeswoman said: "We will be looking at the latest fire service advice as we refurbish and rebuild every school in the borough as part of the Southwark Schools for the Future programme."

A Wandsworth council spokesman said: "We should reassure parents that all school appliances and procedures are regularly tested with evacuation tests every term to ensure pupils' safety."

A Lambeth council spokeswoman said: "The Government is preparing a review about this and we will be looking at the recommendations."

A SCHOOL devastated in a suspected arson attack had did not have sprinklers, it was revealed today.
The staff room and office area of Copleston High School was gutted when a blaze tore through the building overnight on Sunday, causing damage estimated at hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Automatic fire alarms did sound but were not connected to the fire service control room and crews today revealed that the fire had been burning for at least half an hour before they arrived on scene.
Paul Seager, assistant divisional officer for Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, said the alarm system was up to date and typical of a public building where alarm systems were put in place to protect life.

He added: “There is no obligation on people who have fire alarm systems to have them linked through to our control room and there might even be technical difficulties with that.

“Nationally there are pressures being applied by the Chief Fire Officers' Association for a drive to install sprinklers in school buildings. That is as a result of national arson figures.
“However, it has been some while since we had a significant fire in a school in Suffolk.”
Moira Bryan, spokeswoman for Suffolk County Council said the schools and fire service would be working together and, if lessons were to be learned from the blaze they would be taken on board.

As of today 179 MPs have signed the EDM (see below) calling for sprinklers to be made mandatory in new and refurbished schools.

This compares to 191 who signed a EDM concerning the continued use of ceremonial bearskin hats in the army.

Is it not time we got our priorities right and protected our children from fire first?

Last Thursday April 20th a chip pan caught fire in Flat 4, Ranmove Flats, Silverdale Road, Eastbourne.

Acting against Fire Brigade advice the occupant attempted to extinguish the fire using water but, as would be expected, this made matters worse and it flared-up.

Fortunately this activated the fire sprinkler system before the fire could take hold, which immediately extinguished the blaze!

The fire was put out so quickly and efficiently that there was no need to call the Fire Rescue Service.

No one was injured and no damage was sustained – as one would expect when protected by a fire sprinkler system.

EARLY DAY MOTION - WATER SPRINKLERS IN SCHOOLS Celia Barlow MP

On March 1st 2006 Celia Barlow tables an Early Day Motion as follows -

That this House notes that more than 2,000 schools are damaged by fire each year at an estimated cost of £100 million to local education authorities; further notes that the National Governors' Association has been working with the West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority to raise awareness of fire risk assessment among head teachers and governors; looks forward to their joint publication of a guide for governors on fire risk; and calls upon the Government to broaden its recommendations to make the installation of sprinklers in all new build and major refurbishments of maintained schools mandatory.

 A campaign has been launched in the House of Commons to ensure every new or rebuilt school includes a sprinkler system by law.

Lynne Jones (Lab Selly Oak) has joined fellow MPs to call on the Government to make it mandatory for new schools to have sprinklers. They should also be fitted when an existing building undergoes major refurbishment, the MPs said.

It follows a fire which caused damage costing more than £1 million at a Solihull school. Firefighters were forced to watch as the inferno spread through Light Hall School on Sunday, destroying a two-storey block and causing its roof to collapse - because no sprinklers had been fitted.

Frustrations came to a head on Wednesday, when a massive blaze at a Birmingham retail store caused more than 1,000 people to be evacuated from their homes. About 100 firefighters attempted to fight the blaze at Matalan store, in Stechford Retail Park. West Midlands Assistant Chief Fire Officer Robert Hulland warned: "This is the second major fire I have been to in a week where there have not been sprinklers."

The MPs called for new regulations in a House of Commons motion, which warned more than 2,000 schools were damaged by fire each year at an estimated cost of £100 million to local education authorities. The motion "calls upon the Government to broaden its recommendations to make the installation of sprinklers in all new build and major refurbishments of maintained schools mandatory." Dr Jones said: "The fire service has called for every school to have sprinklers fitted, and it seems remarkable that they don't already."

Local Government Minister Jim Fitzpatrick, speaking in the Common, said: "Sprinklers have an important role to play, particularly where their provision is targeted at buildings where the occupants are most at risk from fire. "However, they are not a panacea, and it is important that they form part of a package of measures, both active, such as smoke detectors, and passive, such as fire doors, fire-resistant construction and compartmentation, the efficacy of which has been proved over many years, along with effective building management."

A spokesman for Birmingham City Council said all new schools in the city would have sprinklers fitted.

The FSA commends Birmingham City Council and West Midlands Fire Service for their enlightened approach to protecting their community. When will the rest of the UK follow suit?

Assistant chief fire officer Robert Hulland said: "Unfortunately we end up with school fires in the West Midlands approximately one every five to six days.

The fire destroyed about half of the building

"A sprinkler system would have avoided this fire from occurring. It would have been a small fire rather than losing approximately half the building itself."

A fire which destroyed a newly-built block of flats in the Borders could have been started deliberately, investigators have said.

No-one was hurt in the blaze, but the three-storey timber construction collapsed during the blaze in Thistle Street, Galashiels.

A number of nearby houses were also damaged by the heat.

Seven fire teams and specialist units were called to the scene at about 0200 GMT on Friday.

The FSA believes that sprinkler protection should be made mandatory in all residential properties, especially blocks like this one.

Little is left of the building after the fire

Fires like these demonstrate the urgent need to improve fire safety in high rise blocks. The installation of a fire sprinkler system would have saved their lives.

Michael Miller (left) and Jeff Wornham died while tackling a fire

Chief Fire Officer Roy Wilsher said: "This is a touching gesture which honours the memory of two courageous firefighters and I'm sure will be greatly appreciated by Jeff and Michael's family as well as members of Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service."

YET ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL SPRINKLER STOP

Over the recent Bank Holiday vandals set fire to the external wall of Warehouse Premises at the Mill Place Trading Estate off Bristol Road in Gloucester.

The premises primarily a wooden structure built in the early half of the 20th Century for local Timber Importers has been subdivided into large Industrial Units for use by miscellaneous trades. Sprinkler protection is installed to the majority of the premises with the sprinkler heads installed dated 1968, but the system installation dates much earlier. The water supply to the 3no alternate sprinkler systems installed at the premises is fed from a 150mm connection off the local towns water main.

The fire took hold quickly due to the construction setting fire to the whole of the gable end and broke through the external wall into the premises and activated 10no sprinkler heads. The sprinkler activation controlled and extinguished the fire and there is no doubt that had there not been a sprinkler system installed the premises would have been completely lost. This is the second activation the previous activation was during construction work when 5no heads operated.

DIS Sprinklers have been responsible for the regular testing and maintenance of the sprinkler systems at Mill Place Trading Estate on behalf of Robert Hitchins Properties Ltd for a number of years.

www.dis-ltd.co.uk/sprinklers

At least 17 people, including six children, have died in a fire in a seven-storey building in south Paris, the French fire service has said.

Some 30 people were injured in the blaze, which broke out in the 13th district in the early hours.

More than 200 firefighters helped many of the 130 people in the apartment block to escape. The building housed African immigrant families.

In April, 24 people died in a fire at a Paris hotel also housing immigrants.

Friday's fire broke out in a stairwell in the dilapidated building at around 0017 (2217 GMT Thursday).

The fire broke out in a stairwell in the dilapidated building at around midnight and some 210 firemen from 22 stations around the city were called to the scene. It took them over 2 hours to bring the blaze under control.

• §         In April, 24 people died in a fire at a Paris hotel.

• §         In February, 3 died in a 17 floor block in Stevenage.

• §         Every day, 2 people die and 50 are injured in fires in the UK.

Fires like these demonstrate the need for better fire safety in residential buildings. Had fire sprinklers been installed here, they would have undoubtedly have reduced this tragic death toll and probably no one would have been hurt at all.

Currently in the UK the proposed new Building Regulation could make sprinkler protection mandatory in high-rise blocks over 30 meters.

Protection of building of lesser height is said "not to be cost effective" but how, we would ask, do you put a value on a life? In any case fire has no appreciation of the height of a building and, as shown in these fires, kills just as mercilessly.

The FSA therefore calls on the Government to make sprinkler protection mandatory in all residential property of 3 floors or more. Press Release

At its meeting on Friday August 12^th 2005 the FSA Council considered a paper, drafted following a meeting on July 26^th, which made proposals for the creation of a single organisation to represent the UK Fire Sprinkler Industry.

 The Council were of one mind in that they –

1.         were unanimous in their appreciation of the need for Industry Unity

2.         saw the paper as a positive basis for discussion

3.         agreed to pursue negotiations whenever, wherever and with whomever appropriate to achieve Unity.

and will recommend this course of action to the Membership of the FSA.

International Fire Sprinkler Association Formally Announces 6th International Fire Sprinkler Conference & Exhibition, 28/29 March 2006, Lisbon, Portugal

  The International Fire Sprinkler Association (IFSA) is pleased to announce that the 6th Conference & Exhibition will be held at LeMeridien Park Atlantic Hotel Lisbon on 28-29 March 2006. As a result of the success of the 5th International Fire Sprinkler Conference & Exhibition, IFSA will again host both a conference and an exhibition in 2006. As in the past, the two days will host fire sprinkler industry leaders from around the world with a top-notch panel of speakers that will present updates in technical and legislative areas.

The two-day program will host a full day of speakers on Tuesday, March 28 complete with lunch and presentation of the Harry Marryatt Award. The exhibition, which will also be held at LeMeridien, will take place that evening and will feature exhibits offering the latest in automatic fire sprinkler technology. A grand reception will be held within the exhibition rendering any off-site dinner plans unnecessary. Day two will feature a new slate of speakers and topics and should end near 4:00 p.m. An optional dinner at a nearby historical location is being planned for those wishing to extend their stay.

The five-star LeMeridien Park Atlantic Lisbon is situated in the center of Lisbon on Rua Castilho, facing the Eduardo VII Park and next to Marquês de Pombal Square. LeMeridien Park Atlantic Lisbon enjoys fabulous views of the city from its elevated location. It is 15 minutes from the Lisbon airport and approximately 20 minutes from Lisbon’s coast.

The hotel offers a full service business center, conference facilities and a special agreement for services with the nearby “Clube VII” private health club. A restaurant “L’Appart” and a bar “Le Ganesh” are located within the hotel and the large Amoreiras Shopping center consisting of 300 shops is within a five minute walk. Other nearby activities such as golf, tennis, horseback riding, the Lisbon Zoo, and of course a plethora of historically significant buildings and areas will definitely provide many opportunities for education and enjoyment during your stay.

Program content and schedule are being determined as of this writing. Check - frequently for further conference and exhibition information.

The International Fire Sprinkler Association (IFSA), formed in 1999, is a not-for-profit organization created to promote and enhance the business of manufacturing and installing fire sprinkler, water spray, and water mist systems and devices in all buildings, from homes to high-rise, worldwide, with the highest degree of competence and professionalism, for the purpose of saving lives and protecting property.   

Nearly 400 employees at a Devon factory are to be made redundant after a large fire destroyed their workplace.

An investigation into the cause of the blaze at Hilliers food manufacturers in Plympton is continuing. The company supplies pastry products in the UK.

Sixty firefighters attended the fire on Friday night, which destroyed ovens and machinery inside the building.

After an anxious few days for staff, the company announced on Thursday it had gone into administration.

'Very,very sad'

Administrators are expected to release a statement later on Thursday. In the meantime, they will be meeting staff and unions to explain the situation.

John O'Connell, who had worked at Hilliers for 25 years, received a letter on Thursday to say the company had gone into administration and he was to be made redundant. He said: "It's very, very sad. I still haven't got used to it." John O'Connell, who had worked at Hilliers for 25 years, received a letter on Thursday to say the company had gone into administration

Managers said they had no real choice but to call in the administrators. Hilliers General Manager Yvonne Davies said: "It's been heartbreaking. But, for us, our main concern was for our employees, and this was the best decision to arrive at to protect them and make sure that they are looked after."

FIRE SPRINKLERS WOULD HAVE CONTROLLED THIS FIRE AND KEPT ALL OF THESE 400 PEOPLE IN WORK...............

ODPM has published a consultation document showing its proposals for revisions to Approved Document "B" of the Building Regulations.

BRE are hosting a seminar for ODPM on Wednesday July 27th to present these proposals For more information see http://www.bre.co.uk/adb or contact Caroline McGill at BRE 01923 664532 mcgillc@bre.co.uk

The documents, released on July 19th, are out for public consultation, which will end on November 18th.

Preliminary inspection of the proposals suggest that the majority of changes are positive, and as such are supported by the FSA and we commend the ODPM on their innovative and enlightened approach.

In fact the majority of proposals for dwellings support existing decisions by Building Control officers as detailed in the FSA document "Proposed Alternatives to Approved Document "B"".

The FSA would welcome your comments on these proposals.

You can download the documents from the ODPM web site at http://www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/groups/odpm_buildreg

or by clicking the appropriate link below -

Proposed new edition of Approved Document B: Fire Safety Volume 1 (Dwellings)

A huge fire that tore through a warehouse in Kent was tackled by about 100 firefighters.

Crews from both Kent and East Sussex were called to Paddock Wood, Transfesa Road at about 1615 BST after the fire started at the warehouse owned by Whirlpool on Monday afternoon.

At its height a thick plume of black smoke was visible for up to 30 miles and was clearly visible in Tunbridge Wells, Maidstone and Ashford.

It is not thought anyone was injured, however roads were closed off and train services from nearby Paddock Wood station were cancelled.

The building contained electrical appliances and people at the scene reported hearing a series of explosions as appliances blew up in the heat. There were fears gas cylinders stored in the building could also explode.

Smoke from the fire could be seen from about 30 miles away

Assistant Chief Officer Bill Welch, of Kent Fire and Rescue Service, said: "We're stopping people getting too close, the dangers for us are the cylinders inside the building and around the back.

Our concern is for those but also the collapse of the building when we're working there and also the environmental impact it's had on surrounding people."

The fire had been brought under control by about 1830 BST on Monday evening. However road closures around the fire scene were causing disruption and train services were expected to be affected by the closure of the station, only yards from the warehouse, until Tuesday morning.

A fire has killed 31 people and injured 15 at a hotel in Shantou, in the south Chinese province of Guangdong, state media report.

Firefighters took three hours to put out the blaze which engulfed the upper floors of the four-storey building at noon on Friday.

As an investigation got under way, the causes were not immediately clear.

An initially low death toll was revised after bodies were discovered during a search of gutted rooms.

Four of the injured at the Huanan Hotel were in a serious condition, according to the Chinese state news agency Xinhua.

Details of the guests at the city centre hotel, said to be managed by a Hong Kong company, were not given.

Huang Huahua, governor of Guangdong Province, directed the rescue operation and later visited the injured, Xinhua adds.

On 21 April Glyn Ford MEP submitted a written question in the European Parliament about hotel fire safety.

"Last Friday, 15th April 2005, a fire in a hotel in the centre of Paris killed 22 people, at least half of them children, and injured 60 others. Among the seriously injured are citizens of 7 countries. According to the Paris Fire Brigade the fire spread through the six-storey building via the single staircase which acted as a chimney. This hotel does not meet the European Council Recommendation of 22 December 1986 on fire safety in existing hotels. That Recommendation is being revised to introduce alternative fire safety solutions which make it possible for existing hotels to comply. Sprinkler systems are a standard fire safety measure in many parts of the world and should now be recognised. What is the status with this work and is it time to move to a Directive on Hotel Fire Safety to protect people?"

At least 15 people have died and around 50 people have been injured in a devastating fire at a hotel in central Paris, a fire service spokesman said.

At least 12 of the injured were in a serious condition after the blaze which began at about 0200 (0000 GMT), gutting the modest, one-star Paris-Opera hotel.

Many victims were African immigrants waiting to be re-housed. A number of children are said to be among the dead.

Some of the guests leapt out of the hotel's windows to escape the flames.

The fire started on the first floor, fire service spokesman Laurent Vibert said.

Flames then swept through the six-storey building via the stairwell, which Mr Vibert said had acted as a "chimney".

"The toll is provisional because we fear we might find more victims on the upper floors," he added.

Seventy-six people were staying in the hotel on rue de Provence - in the 9th arrondissement near Paris' department store district.

The BBC's Alasdair Sandford in Paris says there are bound to be questions over safety procedures, and why so many people were unable to escape. It is still unclear how the fire started.

Chakib San, who lives in an adjacent building, told the Associated Press news agency that he was awakened by cries of "Fire! Fire!". He said he saw three people jump from the building, including a woman and a child who lay motionless after hitting the ground.

"They were on the ground. They weren't moving," he said. "Everyone was screaming," he added. "There were bodies in the road."

Dozens of fire engines, 250 firefighters and 10 ambulances took part in the rescue effort. The flames were extinguished by 0330 (0130 GMT). An emergency hospital and a makeshift morgue were set up in the nearby Galeries Lafayette department store.

Many of the injured were suffering froM burns and smoke inhalation. A counselling centre has also been set up for victims, many of whom are in shock. Interior Minister Dominique de Villepin has visited the scene, his office said.

BRE - BUILDING REGULATIONS FIRE SAFETY SEMINAR

BRE are holding a seminar to discuss proposals for Approved Document "B" of the Building Regulations on July 7th. Speakers will include Anthony Burd of ODPM and Brian Martin of BRE

Click here to download application form.

Sections of a well-known Madrid office building 32 storeys high disintegrated on Sunday morning after a fire raged through the upper floors. Following the fire the centre of Madrid's business district has suffered widespread disruption.

It is fortunate that the building was unoccupied at the time of the fire and it was a Sunday. However the fire demonstrates the need for fire sprinkler systems to be installed in all high rise buildings.

About half a million commuters have faced disruption as roads and train services in the area remain shut down. The city mayor has issued a government order to ensure businesses near the burned-out shell of the Windsor building remain shut. No one is believed to have been inside but firefighters say the entire structure is now at risk of collapsing.