The Fire at Lemsford Road, Hatfield, on Saturday 11 August

Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council has been working hard on a recovery operation following the fire that took place at the new Housing Development on Lemsford Road, Hatfield, on Saturday evening.

The fire destroyed the first two blocks of the new affordable housing development which were under construction on the former Forum Theatre site.

The severity of the blaze caused damage to some neighbouring properties on Lemsford Road. The majority of the properties are council owned, although a small number are privately owned.

The council’s Emergency Planning team were activated on Saturday evening and were heavily involved in the evacuation of residents from neighbouring properties. A rest centre was opened at the Jim MacDonald centre where council staff and volunteers met and greeted evacuated residents and helped them with any needs.

A total of 14 properties were evacuated and some residents chose to stay with friends or family, whilst the remainder were found temporary emergency accommodation by the council.

We would like to confirm that there were no casualties as a result of this incident, and our primary concern is the welfare of those residents who have been affected by the fire.

So far, we have:

• Secured the properties on Lemsford Road by boarding up broken windows and doors. This was done by 4pm on Sunday.
• Appointed specific council officers for residents living in the damaged properties to contact if they have any concerns or questions
• Surveyed the damaged buildings to ensure that they are structurally sound and pose no risk to tenants’ health
• Checked that all smoke alarms in the damaged properties, where we could gain access, are working correctly
• Ensured gas, water and electricity services are working and safe to use

We are currently in contact with our partners Metropolitan Housing Partnership, St Modwen, Mansells and the Housing Corporation discussing how best to proceed following the police and fire brigade investigations.

Michel Saminaden, Chief Executive of Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council, said: “I would like to reassure residents that we are doing all we can to ensure that the Hatfield town centre east regeneration progresses as planned. Though at the moment, our primary concern is the welfare of residents who have been affected by the incident.”

Council tenants whose homes were damaged in the fire and who have questions regarding housing needs can contact  Sarah Baxter on 01707 357067. If

Any other general queries should initially be made via the council’s Corporate Communications team on 01707 357228.