Fire disaster averted at Barton Marina

A FIRE in a narrowboat at Barton Marina on the Trent & Mersey Canal, moored closely to others, could have had serious consequences if the fire had spread.

It was Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service who had fitted a smoke alarm to the narrowboat, and it was this that alerted the mother and daughter to the fire in the boat, who in turn alerted the fire emergency services, with nearby fire crews quickly on the scene, dousing the fire, Alan Tilbury relates.

Consequences fatal

This all happened in the early hours of Wednesday morning when the two were asleep, and should the alarm not have awakened them it is likely that they would have been overcome by the smoke, with fatal consequence.

The boaters had vacated the boat after the alarm went off, and their prompt response saved a possible disaster, with the boats closely moored at the marina, and thus a fire being able to spread.

Lucky escape

Burton Station Manager Jim Bywater told that the two had a very lucky escape thanks to the smoke alarm which alerted them to the fire. Fire crews had recently visited the marina as part of the National Boat Fire Safety Week earlier this month, and had fitted smoke alarms.

Once again, this proves the importance of fitting smoke alarms, and not only to those with solid fuel stoves, for in this case the cause of the fire was believed to be an electrical fault.

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue had attended two boat fires in its area in the past three years where boaters died.