Wealmoor has said that there was no sprinkler system installed at the firm’s vegetable packhouse and processing plant at which four firefighters are thought to have died in a fire on Friday night.
Commercial director Avnish Malde told BBC News that there was no sprinkler system in the Warwickshire building when Wealmoor purchased the former Bomfords site in August, and although there were “plans in place to put one in”, the work had not yet been carried out.
"At this moment in time we're co-operating fully with the fire services on that line of the inquiry," he said.
According to a trade insider, however, the lack of spinklers or misting equipment is not unusual in fresh produce packhouses, nor is it a legal requirement. "It may be that some insurers recommend it, but it is not a necessity," he said.
Fire crews have worked through the night in their inch-by-inch search of a burnt-out warehouse for the bodies of three missing colleagues, a search described as "deeply frustrating". If the four deaths are confirmed, the incident would be the worst loss of life for on-duty firefighters for more than 30 years.
Malde said he was first aware of the fire at around 5.30pm on Friday and that the first priority was to ensure that the company’s fire policies were followed. An immediate evacuation of the building was made, although Malde added that only “a few” workers were present as the fire started towards the end of a shift.
He said that as far as he is aware, no staff are unaccounted for after a full headcount was carried out.
Speculation surrounding the cause of the fire is pointing in the direction of arson, with several reports suggesting that a man was seen nearby at the time the fire started, and leaving when the flames came through the roof of the packhouse.
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