A Sunday Telegraph article citing the Yarl’s Wood immigration centre fire as evidence that timber frame is a fire hazard was completely undermined last week when it transpired the building was steel-framed.
Following this revelation, the paper said it would reconsider its decision not to print a letter of complaint from the UK Timber Frame Association, co-signed by wood. for good and the Timber Trade Federation.
The article by building writer Jeff Howell, printed on February 24, said that the reason the £37m centre in Bedfordshire ‘suffered such dramatic fire damage was that it was timber framed’.
However, the Bedfordshire fire service, which tackled the blaze, said that, while the building incorporated timber and composite panels, it had a steel frame superstructure. This was confirmed to TTJ by a source involved in the construction of Yarl’s Wood.
At the same time, the fire service and British Automatic Sprinklers Association have both said that the main reason the blaze was so severe was that Yarl’s Wood had no sprinklers.
Sprinkler supplier Actspeed was asked to tender for the project and put in a quote of £350,000 for a system. ‘Then we were told it was not required,’ said co-owner Ashley Gorton. ‘They’re now picking up the bill for that decision.’
In its letter to the Sunday Telegraph, the UKTFA said that Jeff Howell’s article ‘misinformed’ readers. Besides pointing out that Yarl’s Wood was not timber frame construction, it highlighted that timber frame exceeds Building Regulations in fire performance. TRADA advised on the content of the letter and Jim Lavender of its sister fire safety business Chiltern International Fire Ltd added: ‘The performance of timber frame compares extremely well with other structural building systems – in all building methods, workmanship is the key to ensuring fire resistance’.
The Sunday Telegraph said that it may now print the UKTFA’s letter on March 10.
