When a serious fire broke out in a UK bakery in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, little did the fire crews know that their efforts would be congratulated in a full page advertisement in a national newspaper.
The large bakery concerned was owned by Morrison’s, one of the UK’s major supermarket chains, and its daily bread output supplied 4 million loaves to Morrison’s stores across the country.
10 pumps, two aerial ladders and other supporting appliances manned by 90 firefighters tackled the fire, and after several hours brought the fire under control, although crews remained on the scene for several days.
The bakery was out of action for five days, but thanks to the efforts of the West Yorkshire fire crews and the subsequent work of 300 members of Morrison’s staff, the bakery was back in production within 10 days.
Morrison’s subsequently took the full page advertisement commending the firefighting efforts of the West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service crews and the work of their own staff in getting the bakery back into operation again.
Top image courtesy of West Yorkshire Fire Service via twitter.
About the Author
Neil Wallington is a former British Chief Fire Officer, a Past International President of the Institution of Fire Engineers, and a holder of the Queen’s Commendation for Brave Conduct. He is the author of 17 books on the work of the fire service, and acts as a consultant with extensive experience in the Gulf on a range of projects.
