Construction and renovation fires

Fires are common in buildings under construction and renovation, and present particular difficulties to firefighters.

Fire backlights a renovation scaffold during the 2019 Notre-Dame de Paris fire
Trinity Cathedral, Saint Petersburg in 2006; a fire started in the scaffolding

During construction, buildings often do not have elements that would protect them from fire, such as walls and sprinkler systems.[1] Poor water supplies and the accumulation of flammable materials also present risks.[2] Works often require heat or even open flame, and these can set off fires that smoulder for hours before being noticed. For this reason, work sites may need 24-hour fire watches.[3]

Builder's risk insurance may cover damage from such fires.

Notable construction and renovation fires
FireDateProbable causeRefs
SS Normandie1942sparks from a welding torch used while being converted to a troopship.
Nantes Cathedral1972started in roof by worker with blowtorch.[4]
Montreal Biosphere1976started by worker with welding torch[5]
Hotel Margaret, Brooklyn1980heater used by workers?[6]
Notre Dame de Lourdes, Fall River, Massachusetts1982started by worker with torch during restoration work[7]
Uppark, Sussex1989roof re-leading[8]
Windsor Castle1992spotlight on curtains[3]
Limoges-Bénédictins station1998during restoration works (thermal conduction)[9]
Manhattan's Central Synagogue1998blowtorch used to install air conditioning on roof[10]
University of Kentucky Main Building2001thought to be welding torch used to repair guttering[11][12]
St. Catherine's Church, Gdańsk2006started in roof, short circuit of a tinkered cable[13]
Trinity Cathedral, Saint Petersburg2006originated in exterior scaffolding[14][15]
Cutty Sark2007industrial vacuum cleaner, AWOL firewatchers[16][17]
Universal Studios Hollywood2008started when worker used blowtorch to heat asphalt shingles[18]
Hôtel Lambert, Paris2013under investigation, started in roof[19][20]
Basilica of St. Donatian and St. Rogatian, Nantes2015started in roof[4]
Battersea Arts Centre, London2015under investigation, started in roof[21][22]
Mackintosh Building, Glasgow School of Art (2018)2018under investigation; lack of precautions after 2014 fire[23][3]
Notre-Dame de Paris2019under investigation[3]

See also

References
  1. Robertson, Homer (1 Jan 2011). "Fires in Buildings Under Construction". Fire Rescue Magazine.
  2. U.S. Fire Administration (19 March 2019). "Fire prevention at buildings under renovation or construction". Coffee Break Bulletin.
  3. Captain, Sean (15 April 2019). "Notre-Dame fire: Why historic restorations keep going up in flames". Fast Company.
  4. Damgé, Mathilde; Dagorn, Gary; Durand, Anne-Aël (16 April 2019). "Nantes, Lunéville, Windsor... les derniers grands incendies de bâtiments historiques". Le Monde (in French). Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  5. Montreal Biosphere#1976 fire
  6. Tate, Francesca Norsen (7 February 2019). "Fire destroyed Hotel Margaret 39 years ago this week". Brooklyn Eagle. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  7. "When Fall River's Notre Dame was also consumed by flames". The Herald News. 2019-04-15. Retrieved 2020-06-26. - See abbreviated version at: "Fall River’s Notre Dame was also consumed by flames" South Coast Today (same date), from The Standard-Times
  8. Glancey, Jonathan (8 April 1993). "High price of keeping up with 'heritage mania': The National Trust is". The Independent. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  9. René Dosne (March 1999). "Du martelage à chaud... le toit de la gare est ravagé" (PDF). Journal des sapeurs-pompiers suisses (in French). Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  10. "3 years after fire, NYC Central Synagogue to reopen". The Jewish News. 14 September 2001.
  11. "Administration Building Fire". UK Libraries. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  12. "UK Main Building History". www.uky.edu. Archived from the original on 18 March 2005. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  13. "Św. Katarzyna spłonęła przez "niefabrycznie reperowany przewód"?". trojmiasto.pl (in Polish). 28 November 2007. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  14. (in Russian) Interfax > Politics Archived 2007-09-30 at the Wayback Machine
  15. (in Russian) Интерфакс Archived 2007-09-30 at the Wayback Machine
  16. London Fire Brigade; Metropolitan Police Service (29 September 2008). "Report on the investigation into the fire on board the clipper ship Cutty Sark, King William Walk, Greenwich, London SE10 on Monday 21st May 2007" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 November 2011. Retrieved 16 April 2010.
  17. Justin, Davenport (30 September 2008). "Vacuum cleaner caused £10m Cutty Sark fire as guard slept". Evening Standard.
  18. "Universal Studios fire sparked by blow torch". Reuters.com. June 2, 2008. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
  19. "Hôtel Lambert in Paris Is Damaged by Fire" "Fire at the hôtel Lambert in Paris destroys 17th-century frescoes", The New York Times, 12 July 2013.
  20. "Paris mansion Hotel Lambert seriously damaged by fire". bbc.co.uk. 10 July 2013. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  21. Jubb, David (14 March 2015). "Save Battersea Arts Centre". National Funding Scheme. Archived from the original on 15 March 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  22. Walker, Peter; Quinn, Ben; Rawlinson, Kevin (13 March 2015). "Fire severely damages Battersea Arts Centre in London". The Guardian.
  23. "Glasgow School of Art criticised over fire". 8 March 2019.


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