Huge fire in Sneck

[tm4tj]

There is a huge fire in Inverness tonight, anyone know where it is??

The flames must have been a couple of hundred feet high at one point, clearly visible from North Kessock, but too dark to see exactly what is on fire, substantial buildings though and looks lke quite a few of them.

Roads closed, just on MFR just now location Old Edinburgh Rd & Castle Street

[Johnboy]

It's the building right on the corner of Old Edinburgh Rd and Culduthel Rd...  Been empty for a few years now... The Fire Service were very slow to arrive and very slow to turn hoses on it...

The buildings a complete goner now... will probably have collapsed by the morning

[CaleyD]

Two large empty buildings which have recently had problems getting permission for aspects of their development going up in smoke and all within the space of a week  :024:

[caley100]

Is it the old Youth Hostel at the top of castle street?  they have been trying to get permission to develop that site for years... supposed to listed.    Now its listed as a ruin.

[CaleyD]

That's the very building

[Tug]

was thinknig that mself caleyd something fishy is definitly going on me thinks :024:

[Guest Glen Mhor]

Aye, the Sneck has had some spectacular fires in major buildings over the years - Playhouse cinema, Queensgate Hotel and the two recent ones.  :024:

[Johnboy]

I gotta whiff of something just coming up to half-time in the Dons game.... looked out the window and saw smoke drifting up the street.... thought it was a chimney fire at first.

Took a walk along the street to see where it was coming from...  The building was smouldering badly, and as I got there flames were starting to appear around the upstairs windows... Called 999 on my mobile only to be told the Fire Service were already in attendance - They weren't - although one appliance arrived just when I got there, followed about 5 minutes later by another one - Maybe they had all been watching the football....

It must have been about another 15 minutes before hoses were actually turned on the building by which time the roof was well and truly ablaze...

I left the scene after about another 15 minutes - and passed another appliance with the really long turntable ladders on its way to the scene... I would imagine by the time that went into action the building would have been nothing more than a shell....

Hope to feck my house never catches fire...

Must remember to take the battery out the TV remote and reinstall it in the smoke alarm.... :024:

[SMEE]

I too, smell a rat :024: Anyone know who has the land on which the former Youth hostel is situated?

[RiG]

It must have been about another 15 minutes before hoses were actually turned on the building by which time the roof was well and truly ablaze...

I will start by saying I have no idea how the Fire Service operate when they get to a scene like that but I guess they would have had to have secured the area around the building and probably checked inside for anyone before they could even turn the hoses on.

[Johnboy]

Of course you are right about that, Rig... they also had to evacuate people from nearby buildings as well...

It just seemed to me the building must have been smouldering for around half an hour or more - and then all of a sudden turned into a blazing inferno... I am wondering at what point/time the fire service were alerted. It is, sorry, was a huge building and it was ablaze from end to end, top to bottom in no time at all.... Smee's suspicions are probably well founded.

I understand the owner of the place had plans to convert the building into flats - meantime, he was also under pressure from Highlands Council to carry out remedial work on dry rot etc - he had pledged to them that the building would be preserved and maintained until the conversion got underway....

Wonder how much he had it insured for.... :024:

[RiG]

Again, guessing here, I don't think it's simply a case of turn up and douse the building with water. I think they need to ***** the ferocity/intensity of the fire, ease of access, where they should actually try and put the fire out from etc.

All of these of course take time and will have a huge bearing on whether a fire can be put out.

But I do like a good conspiracy theory as well!

[Johnboy]

Again - You are probably right about that, but surely some of these guys will have come across occassions of buildings on fire in the past.??  :023:

I just found myself wanting to yell at them....

"FFS... Where the feck have you been"..?? "This priceless, historic feckin building has just burst into flames"....!!!

"Are you cnuts just gonna stand around and watch it.."..?

:crazy07: :crazy07:

[Alex MacLeod]

The first thing that must be assessed prior to fighting any fire in a building is whether or not electricity has been isolated. That can take quite some time. Water and power are not a good combination.

[L_G]

I was working, but I was on a break when it was at it's worst.  Parked on Castle Wynd we were able to pop up to the Castle where there was a clear view.  Don't expect there will be much left of it today.  The ariel platform had finished before I came home about midnight.  They were pumping the water from the river by Ness Bank Church.

[Johnboy]

The first thing that must be assessed prior to fighting any fire in a building is whether or not electricity has been isolated. That can take quite some time. Water and power are not a good combination.

Are you seriously suggesting "some time" would have been taken by firefighters to isolate electricity from the building, even if people had been screaming for help from upstairs rooms..? The worst thing that could have happened had water been poured onto a building with a live electrical supply is that a "short" would have been created and a fuse would have blown somewhere... No problem...

Also Laura has correctly pointed out water was eventually pumped from the River Ness, but by the time it arrived it was way too late... I would like to know why it took such a long time to do that, and what the problem was with the hydrants on Old Edinburgh Rd/Culduthel Rd/Castle St....

Thank God no one was in that building - they quite simply wouldn't have stood a chance... I just hope there will be some kind of meaningful enquiry into just how yet another part of Sneck's heritage has been irretrievably lost...

[Guest TinCanFan]

It could have been started by neds though and it wouldn't suprise me if there were tramps and people taking drugs in there.  I wonder if the people in the Redcliffe Hotel were worried because while they were eating their dinner in that conservatory thing there was bits of fire falling around them!  I see that there's no roof left on it now, the road's still closed and I could still smell it this morning.

Post Edited: Sorry TCF, probably quite an innocent comment but be careful about allegations of arson. Arsing is OK though  :004:

The Mantis

[Mee]

I only found out today the Craig Dunain went on fire last week - over 12 hours to puit it out apparently! There was always going to be problems with any planning application for that building due to the huge layer of waxy floor polish that had accumulated in the basement, as its a fire hazard funnily enough! I'm sure the relevant Insurance companies will be well on the case though, they usually are  :003:

[Alex MacLeod]

The first thing that must be assessed prior to fighting any fire in a building is whether or not electricity has been isolated. That can take quite some time. Water and power are not a good combination.

Are you seriously suggesting "some time" would have been taken by firefighters to isolate electricity from the building, even if people had been screaming for help from upstairs rooms..? The worst thing that could have happened had water been poured onto a building with a live electrical supply is that a "short" would have been created and a fuse would have blown somewhere... No problem...

Also Laura has correctly pointed out water was eventually pumped from the River Ness, but by the time it arrived it was way too late... I would like to know why it took such a long time to do that, and what the problem was with the hydrants on Old Edinburgh Rd/Culduthel Rd/Castle St....

Thank God no one was in that building - they quite simply wouldn't have stood a chance... I just hope there will be some kind of meaningful enquiry into just how yet another part of Sneck's heritage has been irretrievably lost...

Johnboy, I,m not suggesting it. I know it. The firefighters wouldn't isolate the power. They'd contact the power suppliers to ensure power to the building was isolated. If there were people at windows attempts would be made to rescue using ladders and turntables.

As for your 'blow a fuse' theory. Yep! modern buildings have Extra Load Circuit Breakers. Old buildings likely dont. And there is never a guarantee that correct fuses are fitted. Nor would this building have a current fire certificate or recent inspection because its wasn't in use.

I can see why you would feel aggrieved at the time it may take to start fighting the fire but the firemans life is every bit as important as anybody elses. The philosophy nowadays, supported by the Health and Safety at Work Act, is 'save life if it's safe to do so but property can be replaced'.

[Scarlet Pimple]

Mee--are you referring to what once was the mental hospital up past the Leachkin? My uncle was resident there once................. :023:

[Yngwie]

Uncle Johndo?