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Faisal Hanif is a freelance journalist on the MA Newspaper Journalism programme at City University, London and has a Masters qualification in History from the School of Oriental and African Studies. Previously, he received a BA (hons) in History at the University of Leicester, and has worked as a outreach worker for TELL MAMA, fieldwork researcher for the IPPR and an associate researcher for Datamonitor in Manchester. He has also been published on the Guardian's online comment section and has his own blog.
June 17, 2014

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The Necker Island Fire Investigation Revisited

Necker islandThe reconstructed Necker Island property of Sir Richard Branson is an exemplar of fire safety standards adherence, according to John Williamson, a fire risk assessor from Preston.

Mr Williamson told delegates at FIREX International that his visit and inspection of the new home of the Virgin magnate, which was burnt down to the ground just three years ago, had left him greatly impressed.

“Sir Richard wanted assessment to be to UK benchmark standard and the level of detail that he has gone into in terms of strategic location of safety equipment and training of staff is second to none.”

Mr Williamson told the audience that the new build “was the original on steroids.”

He paid a glowing tribute to the staff of Necker Island who numbered up to 80 people and were trained by Mr Williamson, who called them “The most professional bunch of people I ever met.”

The veteran firefighter of 37 years spoke of investigating the fire that engulfed Sir Richard Branson’s exclusive island resort.

Mr Williamson’s experience of investigating major fires include, amongst others, the infamous Twin Towers in New York.

The presentation was punctuated with images and slides showing the picturesque surroundings of Necker Island and an explanation of how Mr Williamson came to determine the cause of the fire.

The Lancastrian spoke of analysing many different factors including, timber and metals and glass, geography, climate and witnesses.

The presentation was effective in getting across the forensic detail involved in determining the cause of fires and how this can benefit future reconstruction and fire safety. Furthermore the graphic imagery showing the burnt debris was effective in highlighting the ferocity of the fire with Mr Williamson stating how the “Fire Alarms were fried.”

The cause of the fire was determined as lighting, which wasn’t clear from the burnt evidence of the property. It took witness statements from those who saw the initial flames on the roof – ie, the highest point – as well as a remarkable system that showed the different times at which the flames engulfed certain wireless access points.

Fun Fact: Located in the Caribbean Necker Island is especially vulnerable to lightning strikes, with 30 per km striking each year.

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