bluecoat.jpg

AN open kitchen door helped spread smoke during a fire that devastated Liverpool's Bluecoat, a report revealed.

A staff member wedged a kitchen door open, allowing plumes of acrid black smoke to engulf two floors of the arts centre, according to a report by Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority. The report added the move "compromised" the fire management of the building.

Bluecoat managers say fire safety messages have been reiterated to staff but refused to be drawn on whether anyone was disciplined or sacked for the slip.

An inferno gutted the west wing kitchen of the 18th century building in May. It caused significant smoke damage to the adjoining first floor restaurant and some damage to the second floor.

The fire started in the kitchen, taking hold just before 4am and smashed windows with its scorching heat.

If the building was occupied at the time of the fire, the report says, "more serious consequences may have resulted".

More than 30 firefighters from four stations arrived within minutes of the alarm being raised.

The centre, which has won a regional Royal Institute of British Architecture award, had reopened just a month earlier following a £12.5m refurbishment.

The building’s automatic fire detection system is praised with raising the alarm early and saving the historic building from further harm. Its "compartmentation" also helped contain the flames.

Loss adjusters and assessors are investigating the cause of the fire. It is being treated as an accidental blaze as there is no suspicion of wrongdoing or deliberate ignition.

Both the kitchen and restaurant remain closed but the management hope to reopen them in the autumn.

The report was prepared by fire service deputy chief fire officer Mike Hagen for the authority’s 08 Committee. It will be considered by committee members tomorrow.

Mr Hagen writes: "Smoke logging of the first and second floors was of some concern and initially the fact that the products of combustion had spread so rapidly throughout the building pointed to a potential failure of the separation and compartmentation of the room of origin or structural integrity of the floor and or building.

"This proved to be unfounded and the smoke logging was directly due to the kitchen door having been wedged open and left open overnight when staff had left the previous evening.

"Fire management of the building had been compromised by that action and had the building been occupied at the time more serious consequences of that failure may have resulted."

Mr Hagen adds that fire officers will be driving home the importance of sound fire management systems with the Bluecoat authorities.

Alastair Upton, the Bluecoat’s chief executive, said he was aware of a member of his staff’s role in allowing the smoke to spread.

He said: "We were aware of that and took it seriously as an internal matter.

"We took our fire management extremely seriously, which is why the fire management systems did so well. But we are in no way complacent."

Asked about any disciplinary action against his staff, he said: "What we focussed on was responding as quickly as possible to the fire, which we did."