Hampshire Fire and Rescue service has praised students for responding so quickly to alarms, after a fire broke out on the 12th floor of an apartment block.
A significant fire had broken out in the kitchen of the flat and on discovering there was a person unaccounted for we quickly carried out a search operation to locate and lead the casualty to safety. Our positive and prompt firefighting action then stopped the fire spreading beyond the kitchen.
– Group Manager Dave Turner, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service
Meridian West: Report into the future of fire fighting
by Malcolm Shaw
An independent report commissioned by the Government claims that fire services across the South could save millions of pounds of public money if they worked together more closely.
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service has revealed its investigations into the recent spate of fires in thatched properties has established a common link.
Although investigations into the causes of these fires are still ongoing, early indications suggest they have been caused by excessive heat being transferred through the chimney or the chimney liner to the thatch, therefore creating an ignition source.
Each of the properties involved had wood burners installed as a main heating source.
Shirley Towers fatal fire report calls for sprinklers in all residential high rises
by Martin Dowse
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service is calling for all residential tower blocks in the country to be fitted with sprinkler systems - after the death of two of the service's firemen.
Alan Bannon and James Shears died in the blaze at Shirley Towers in April 2010. Following their own investigation into the incident the fire service also says measures to make tower blocks safer are not being implemented quickly enough.
The interviewees in Martin Dowse's report are: John Bonney, the Chief Officer of Hampshire Fire & Rescue Service; Lin Trott, Alan Bannon's sister; Nick Cross, the Head of Housing for Southampton City Council; and Dave Curry the Director of the Chief Fire Officers' Association.
Report into Shirley Towers fatal fire tragedy published
The official fire service report into the Shirley Towers tragedy in Southampton in which two firefighters - Alan Bannon and James Shears - died, has been published.
A three-year investigation by Hampshire Fire & Rescue Service has led to nearly one hundred recommendations for changes. Martin Dowse reports.
Richard Jones has been taking a closer look after firefighters were called to blazes at seven thatched cottages in Hampshire and Dorset. His report includes interviews with Dan Tasker from Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service and master thatcher Jason Morley.
Owners of thatched properties are being urged to check the safety of their chimneys after a spate of fires on Good Friday.
At the peak of the fires, around 200 firefighters from across the country were engaged in battling the thatch blazes in Hythe, Wherwell near Andover and East Meon.
Early investigations suggest all three fires were caused by sparks or heat from the chimney or the liner. With the chilly weather set to continue, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service is urging people to check their chimneys are equipped to deal with the fires they are lighting.
The outbreak of fires on Good Friday suggests people are still using their open fires and log burners due to the unseasonably cold weather. But these fires can cause huge problems, particularly in thatched properties, if chimneys are not properly maintained.
The frequency of sweeps will depend on the material being burned, with chimneys over wood fires needing more regular sweeps than those with coal or oil. With people still using fires into the spring months, additional sweeps may also be required.==
– Dan Tasker, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service
He added: "It is crucial that flues and liners are properly checked by professionals and that chimneys are regularly swept. With regular maintenance most chimney fires are preventable and we can avoid the sort of destruction seen with the recent thatch fires."
'We're lucky to be alive after explosion in our home'
A family of six have been reliving the moment a huge explosion ripped through their home. The Warners say they are lucky they were not all killed.
The blast from a gas boiler lifted the roof, cracked walls and shattered windows at their family home at Gosport, in Hampshire. But apart from being treated for shock they were otherwise unhurt. Richard Jones reports. His interviewees are Drew, Marc and Bayley Warner.
A family of six are lucky to be alive after an explosion ripped through their home in Gosport on the evening of Monday 25 March.
Firefighters say the Warner family - aged between 11 and 45 - escaped serious injury after the blast from a gas boiler blew out windows, lifted the roof and cracked the walls. The family were treated for shock. Mark Warner gave us his reaction.