A fire that gutted a flat and forced a family to flee from flames could have been put out quicker if Radlett Fire Station remained open, according to an angry campaigner.
At around 7am on Sunday morning, the kitchen of a fourth floor studio flat in Craig Mount, Radlett, caught fire. Flames quickly spread into the roof of the four-storey building, causing severe damage to the property.
Firefighters from Watford, Garston, Hatfield, Rickmansworth, Borehamwood and Bushey attended the fire but Stephen Oaksmonger, speaking on behalf of Support Our Fire and Rescue (SOFAR), said the Radlett station, which closed in 2006, would have better served it, being less than a mile away.
He said: "Having all these crews over there would have put the hospital in Watford and other areas in jeopardy. Radlett Fire Station is only two minutes away so they could have got there first and there would have been no need for the other crews."
He added: "They are building so many new houses and flats in the area and Hertfordshire is one of the worst areas for road accidents in the country. Closing the fire station was a despicable move that puts everyone in danger and we have to get them to admit that they made a mistake."
Lara Hejazi from Hertfordshire County Council said the fire crew from Borehamwood had arrived at the scene in six minutes and 38 seconds, which she said was reasonable and well within the target time. She added that as Radlett was a retained station when it was open, it was "unlikely that they would have got to the scene any earlier."
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No-one was injured during the fire in Craig Mount but fire investigators are working to establish a cause.
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