Another fire in Southampton

A fire in Liberty Quays led to one female being helped to safety in the early hours of this morning.

Fire services were called to Liberty Quays (predominantly Solent flats), also known as Mercury Point, at 4:51am this morning after the automatic fire alarm was set off.

By the time the fire brigade had arrived the building had been evacuated but one person had not been accounted for. Fire fighters located the female student in her bedroom on the 12^th floor and she was taken to hospital by paramedics as a precaution.

A total of 63 fire fighters from St Mary’s, Hightown, Redbridge, Winchester, Botley and Romsey fire crews, including an aerial ladder platform and a special equipment unit, were called to the scene on Duke Street and dealt with the situation.

Evacuated students had to wait for roughly 2/3 hours, while some took refuge in Deanery halls for warmth.

Southampton Solent student and Liberty Quays resident, Natalia Leighton-Sims said:

We didn’t even realise it was real till we went round the corner and saw smoke coming from the 12th floor.

The fire broke out in a communal kitchen on the 12^th floor and was centred around a sofa. An investigation will be carried out between Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service and Hampshire Police to establish the cause of the fire.

Floors surrounding the 12^th floor suffered from minor smoke logging and the buildings ventilation systems were used to clear the smoke.

Another Liberty Quays resident, Natalee Michelle, said:

If I was in the shower when the alarm went off I wouldn’t have heard it.

Liberty Quays, commonly known as Mercury Point, is a 16 storey accommodation block for Southampton Solent students located on Duke Street in the city centre.

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