Recent balcony fire in Liverpool underlines the threat high-rise residents face and the importance of fire safety

Following a recent balcony fire in Liverpool, just one of hundreds of balcony fires taking place across the UK every year, it is crucial that the public are suitably advised on how to prevent the threat of balcony fires that can leave entire buildings at risk.

Although no suspected cause has yet been determined, there are many ways in which we can take crucial steps to limit risk.

For instance, those living with a traditional timber or composite decking balcony are most at risk, due to the combustible nature of the decking and therefore have numerous actions that they can take.

Although the decision for many will not be within their power, actively campaigning to remediate these balconies towards a fire-safe alternative, such as aluminium decking, can be a great way to kickstart the process. Many leaseholders have helped to progress their building’s fire-safety works by speaking with us and collating information to pass on to their freeholder.

Building owners and housing associations play a key role in the solution, in which homeowners will benefit from a balcony that adheres to the latest British regulations whether these are mandatory or not for the homes in question. External wall materials can also assist the spread of a fire, as seen in the tragic Grenfell disaster, and therefore require equal due care and attention. A fire that begins and takes hold on a balcony can easily spread across the walls if they are also combustible.

Many balcony fires across the UK are caused by human error. Typically, this is due to cigarette ends that are not fully extinguished or properly disposed. If a burning cigarette falls on timber or composite decking it can provide adequate heat to the material that will subsequently act as fuel, naturally surrounded by oxygen and therefore completing the fire triangle.

This goes for any combustible materials, which should not be stored on balconies while there is a source of heat such as the sun and the natural supply of oxygen present. This means that fuel sources are the element that are easiest to eliminate from the fire triangle.

Additional risks include the use of disposable barbecues, another heat source that homeowners often use on their balcony due to the lack of shared or private garden space. A popular part to UK culture, a barbecue provides a significant heat source in an enclosed environment, and is a major danger when left unattended or poorly disposed.

London’s firefighters have responded to almost 600 barbecue-related fires in the last five years, 45 of which were on private balconies.

Glass is another factor to be taken into consideration. As we know, glass can magnify the direction and the intensity in which the Sun’s rays impact a surface. Whether this be through a reflection from a nearby building window or another glass feature such as glass bottles, the focusing of sunlight is a common cause of ignition of combustible materials on balconies.

AliDeck carries out our annual Balcony Fire Report from each August to the end of the following July, and this Report highlights the need to take action and play our role in the solution for a safer future. With our next report period for 2021 to 2022 beginning just a month away, we hope to share the latest figures with you very soon. In the meantime, you can read our August 2020 – July 2021 report here.

The AliDeck range of balcony decking products is 100% aluminium and A-Rated for fire safety. Replaceing combustible timber or composite decking in balconies is the surest route to fire-safety, but there are many actions that we can take to minimise the risks.

For more information on how we actively seek to play our role in future-proofing balconies in a fire-safe manner, contact our team who will be more than happy to provide the information you require via 01622 235672 or info@alideck.co.uk.