Coventry student accommodation block catches fire

Three appliances were called to the site of a reported fire at a student block in Coventry at 1:45pm on Sunday, November 20. Crews reportedly got the fire under control in about an hour, and their presence wasn’t needed afterwards.

The incident took place in Hillman House, a student accommodation block located on Corporation Street in Coventry. The block sits above a podium with office space and retail units on street level.

The blaze was caused by an unattended pan on a stove, according to officials from the West Midlands Fire Service. No residents were injured in the fire.

Cooking appliances are the number one cause of house fires in the UK, according to data provided by the Home Office. Out of 24,362 accidental dwelling (inside a residence) fires in 2020/21, cooking appliances accounted for 46%. These include ovens, hot plates and toasters. 

Moreover, human factors played a role in 66% (16.141) dwelling fires in 2020/21. Careless handling, negligent use of equipment, or cooking are the leading causes. 

West Midlands Fire Service encourages residents to register their household equipment. This means the resident will receive safety updates if the manufacturer recalls the product due to a safety issue. At the moment around 100 million appliances are estimated to be unregistered across the country.