Another multi-storey timber frame structure under construction has been involved in a major fire.
Fire crews battled a blaze at a building site in Basingstoke on Saturday night.
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service said a 75x70m structure was severely damaged by fire, while about 50 surrounding dwellings and Brighton Hill Community College were affected by smoke and burning embers.
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service chief officer John Bonney, who is also president of the Chief Fire Officers Association, attended the scene of the challenging blaze.
“This incident has once again highlighted just how potentially dangerous the threat of fire can be in timber framed buildings whilst they are under construction,” he said.
“When timber-framed buildings catch fire the actual structure burns. It often leads to total collapse and that puts the safety of our firefighters at risk.”
He said the Chief Fire Officers Association was right to be increasingly worried about the number and severity of fires in timber-framed buildings under construction.
