Roof Fire At Blenheim Palace Staw Thawing Pipes

Firefighters were called to a National Trust heritage home in Oxfordshire yesterday (Tuesday December 21st), after staff tried to thaw frozen pipes with fire.

After recent cold weather, staff at Blenheim Palace attempted to clear the pipes of ice with a lit torch. However, they also succeeded in setting fire to a bird's nest in the roof of the building.

Blenheim Palace is open to the public for some of the year and as such is classed as a commercial building.

All commercial buildings must carry out a fire risk assessment to ensure they comply with Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

More than 40 firefighters from the local Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service were called to the scene.

Kenny Blair, group manager at the local fire and rescue team, told the BBC they have a rehearsed plan for fires in the building due to its "international historic value".

Blenheim Palace is the birthplace of Winston Churchill and currently houses the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough.

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