What happened at the apartment block on Sleigh Drive, Edinburgh?

On 27 February 2001 a fire broke out in a flat in an apartment block on Sleigh Drive in Edinburgh, Scotland. Tragically it would claim the life of one person and injure two firefighters.

The property was built around 1936 and had been modified over the years. Most of the improvements made however were cosmetic and served to conceal building defects, which would otherwise have been obvious. The apartment block contained 18 flats in total.

How did the Sleigh Drive apartment block fire start?

The fire started in the living room of a ground floor flat. An occupant is believed to have suffered a stroke while holding a smoking cigarette.

The fire service arrived later than usual due to harsh winter conditions. They carried out a risk assessment and, from the flame spread and smoke, assumed that flashover had occurred. This allowed two crews to enter the first floor to locate the fire and a second pair outside to dampen its effects.

Intense heat in the hallway was reported. Tragically, officers attempting to re-enter the building were then met with an explosion.

What can the industry learn from the Sleigh Drive apartment block fire?

Poor workmanship had allowed 4” inch holes in the fire walls. Gaps in the walls and floor joists also allowed smoke to pass from one compartment to another.

The explosion had taken place on the first floor in the form of a backdraft. Unburned gases and smoke were allowed to accumulate in the first floor, entering via the poor fire wall separation. This also weakened the joists and structural connections that when mixed with oxygen in the airflow (caused by the exit of the occupant from the flat and entry of the crew) caused the explosion.

The severely weakened structure failed to support the first floor, which crashed to the ground.