On Thursday 7th August 2014 a fire tore through factory premises in Melton Road, Leicester. Local
news reports showed the building engulfed in flames and major disruption to the affected area with 200 homes having to be evacuated.
The blaze, which caused the collapse of the four-storey building and total losses of the businesses inside, threatened to spread to an adjacent petrol station which also had to be evacuated and protected by fire crews.
The building has since been demolished and businesses severely affected.
In a recent development, Leicestershire F&RS have confirmed that the building had once been protected by a sprinkler system but that in recent times it had been decommissioned and was not oper
ational at the time of the disastrous fire. It was said that had the sprinkler system been in working order the outcome would have been completely different.
