YouTube: Bradford City Fire Video

[portlock seagull]

I remember the school playground jokes going around before being told by my mother that we'd lost distant family in the fire that dreadful day. Jimmy Greaves came to visit the 'lucky' ones in hospital and was appalled by their burns apparently. He was brilliant though and cheered many people up.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

There is another shocking video on yourtube, (well a number of them) is remember 'Bradford' think Des was on Grandstand. However many will never have heard of Roger Williamsom F1 racing driver,who died at Zandervoort in the mid 70,s I WARN YOU Now it is distressing to watch so many just stand and watch a REAL HERO in David Purley try to save Williamson.

 

[eastlondonseagull]

Just read about a disaster at Ibrox in 1972...Never knew about this...

The Wheatley Committee was set up in 1972 in response to a large number of spectators who had died in a disaster at Ibrox Park, Glasgow. This was the result of structural failure, the steel barriers on stairway 13 gave way and a total of sixty-six people were suffocated to death and many more injured in the resulting crush.

So many football disasters

 

[Brighton till i die]

this must go down as the MOST depressing thread of the week so far.

 

[Man of Harveys]

3,500, according to The Guardian.

I think I'm right in saying that that stand origally had a capacity of almost twice that. Makes you realise how much thought and consideration was ever given to the comfort and safety of punters right up to the mid-80s, i.e. somewhere between f*** and all.

 

[Yorkie]

Thank God my son didn't go to that match.

I did lose two female work colleagues although I didn't know them well as they were in another department.

RIP.

 

[Giant Seagull]

The heat from that, let alone the smoke and flames must have been horrific, its like on Bonfire night when stood next to a large bonfire, at first you are cold and stand close, just to warm up, then you move back as you feel your face stinging, occasionaly you turn round to warm your back, but then its too much and you and hundreds of others move back to a safe distance and watch the spectacle......now imagine not being able to get out

The man on fire near the end i beleive died in hospital few days later.
It was meant to be a day of celebration as well

 

[British Bulldog]

Unbelieveable the way it spread.

It makes you wonder about the South Stand at Withdean. Obviosuly its never going to burn down, but what if forever reason, it needed to be empited for whatever reason, what chance would anyone stand. There is way way out over the back, and unless you fancy a 12 foot drop, the only way out is down the stairs.

Obviously its pased its safty tests, but if it did start to collaspse, would chance would anyone have?

Another reason to shout to the time wasting Labour ****ing Party, get it f***ing sorted!

I'm glad i'm not the only one who wonders about the stands at the Withdean.

 

[Bry Nylon]

We watch that video quite alot, frame by frame, for training purposes, as it shows the classic signs a flashover situation developing.

The first sign something is wrong is on 44:12 - 15 secs, when the ball is near the far touchline and people are starting to climb onto the running track.


On 44:31 - 08 secs the commentaor mentions a fire for the first time, and a small fire can be seen in the stand.

By 45:55 - 19 secs you can see a flashover is imminent, by the way the smoke is accelerating very quickly away from the flames, and up through the roof. At this point oxygen is being sucked in by the flames, accelerating the fire and the whole structure is seconds away from simply combusting through the effect of radiated heat.

46:22 - 10 secs. Flashover has occured and the whole building is involved in fire, just 2 minutes after the commentator first noticed it.

46:14 - 14 secs. The heat is so intense, items not directly involved in the fire start to combust, simply due to the intensity of the radiated heat. ie the jacket worn by the guy clambering out of the stand.


Shutting internal doors when you go to bed at night means that in the unlikely event of a fire (i) smoke cannot travel through the house so readily, and (ii) the fire is far more likely to be contained to one room, than if the doors are open.

 

[dougdeep]

The South Stand at the Goldstone had a serious fire....they were all wooden seats. Mysterious really, they were going to be replaced shortly anyhow by new plastic seats....happened after a match at the Goldstone if I remember......think it was blamed on a cigarette end...?

The South stand fire was on the 19th of April 1980. It was just after the Middlesborough game which we won 2-1. The seats were installed the following season.

 

[Bry Nylon]

Flashover is the sudden and instant spread of fire, as objects near the fire start heating up before suddenly combusting.

The easiest way to imagine it is to think of a cardboard box near a bonfire. At first it will get warm, then it will get hot and maybe start to deform. Then it will start to give off smoke. The smoke will rise more quickly and more rapidly as the box gets hotter, before suddenly bursting into flames. At that point flashover has occured.
The same thing happens in alot of house fires. It might start with an armcahir on fire, but in a matter of minutes other furniture, curtains, carpets, wallcoverings etc not directly involved in the original fire simply ignite when they reach their optimal ignition temperture and the whole room becomes engulfed in flames, typically anywhere between 1000 - 2000 degrees.

And after that, you get backdraft!

 

[Lander]

You say all of the grounds should be no smoking becauase of that, but how many wooden grounds are there now a days, Withdean there is none really in the stand

 

[dougdeep]

You say all of the grounds should be no smoking becauase of that, but how many wooden grounds are there now a days, Withdean there is none really in the stand

The bit we walk on is wood.

 

[Sav]

Shame about the unfourtunate people, but that was bloody amazing

 

[Leekbrookgull]

What does Backdfaft, do in a fire

 

[HampshireSeagulls]

What does Backdfaft, do in a fire

A backdraft is a situation which can occur when a fire is starved of oxygen; consequently combustion ceases but the fuel gases and smoke remain at high temperature. If oxygen is re-introduced to the fire, eg. by opening a door to a closed room, combustion can restart often resulting in an explosive effect as the gases heat and expand. This effect is the basis for the synonym smoke explosion. Characteristic signs include yellow or brown smoke, smoke which exits small holes in puffs (a sort of breathing effect) and is often found around the edges of doors and windows, and windows which appear brown or black when viewed from the exterior. These darker colors are caused by incomplete combustion. If the room contains a lot of soot, it indicates that the room lacks enough oxygen to permit combustion. Firefighters often look if there is soot on the inside of windows and in cracks around in the room. The window might have cracked because of the heat. The windows of the structure may also have a slight vibration due to the pressure differentials. The surrounding environment (i.e. the hallway outside the suspected backdraft room) will be extremely hot. If firefighters discover a room pulling air into itself, for example through a crack, they should evacuate immediately, because this is a strong indication that a backdraft is imminent. Due to pressure differentials, these puffs of smoke are sometimes "sucked" back into the enclosed space from which they emanate, which is where the term "backdraft" originates.

This is a very dangerous situation, often surprising firefighters, regardless of their level of experience. The most common tactic used by firefighters in defusing a potential backdraft is to ventilate from the highest point, allowing the heat and smoke to escape without igniting explosively.

 

[Bry Nylon]

What does Backdfaft, do in a fire

You're gonna make me late for work!!
Backdraft is when oxygen is suddenly introduced into a severe fire. In the burning room analogy described above, if you suddenly opened the living room door, oxygen would be sucked in, feed the fire, and cause an explosion that would literally burn you to a cinder on the spot.

We spend hours and hours practicing "door entry procedures" in situations where the conditions for Backdraft exist. Two people in Breathing Apparatus lie / crouch on the floor outside, one cracks open the door and the other sprays a cooling jet into the room to knock back the hot gases. You do this 3 or 4 times then make entry, keep low and advance, using the same technique until you can tackle thge seat of the fire.

 

[eastlondonseagull]

You say all of the grounds should be no smoking becauase of that, but how many wooden grounds are there now a days, Withdean there is none really in the stand

But I was bricking it at Chesterfield, people smoking while standing on wooden floor and with wooden 'seats'.

 

[HampshireSeagulls]

Uuurgh. Re-entry routines and fire triangles! I used to hate re-entry from below or above on ships, it's really taking your life into your hands opening that hatch and hoping that you've managed to seal it with the waterwall. As for the technique of dangling a fully charged hose down between your legs as you go down a ladder....not half as much fun as it sounds!