Hanley library fire caused by overloaded battery circuit
Three crews were called out by Staffordshire Fire and Rescue to the scene yesterday afternoon
Last updated 9th Jun 2024
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue have confirmed what caused a fire in Hanley yesterday afternoon.
Yesterday, (March 18), crews from three stations were called to the City Central Library on Bethesda Street in Hanley at 4.50pm after hearing reports of a fire.
Sandyford, Hanley and Burslem teams were called out to the scene and extinguished the fire quickly, as it was was contained within a small area on the second floor.
Nobody was injured in the blaze.
Two firefighters wearing breathing apparatus using hose reel jets to extinguished the fire and positive ventilation was used to clear the building of smoke.
The fire was accidental and caused by an overloaded battery circuit - and it's not said to have spread any further than it did because of the use of fire alarms in the buildings, and the fire crews attending early on during the progression of the blaze.
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue say they worked 'closely' with Stoke-on-Trent City Council to make sure they could stop the blaze as quickly as possible.
A Stoke-on-Trent City Council spokesperson said: “The fire was swiftly contained and emergency response procedures were thoroughly followed. The fire was accidentally caused and limited to an upper floor office space that was not publicly accessible.
“No public services have been impacted. The library will be closed tomorrow (Monday) to allow for further health and safety checks to be completed.
“Library users can visit any of our other libraries in the city, and a wide range of library services are available online via <a class="article-body-link" href="http://www.stoke.gov.uk."">www.stoke.gov.uk."