Southsea fire crews called to blaze caused by overheating dryer on top floor of Buckland high rise

Six fire engines, as well as an aerial ladder platform, were dispatched from Southsea Cosham, and Havant fire stations to the fire at Pickwick House in Wingfield Street at 9.30pm on Saturday.

The fire crews quick response meant the blaze was contained to one dryer in a dedicated laundry room on the top floor of the high rise, according to firefighter Nev Lewendon.

He said: ‘We had two breathing apparatus teams check the building.

‘The whole floor looked like it was dedicated to laundry and we saw smoke coming from a door jamb.

‘The fire was hot enough to melt a light fixture on the ceiling.

‘The teams worked well to put out the fire using a couple of jets – water was kept to a minimum.

‘We think it was caused by an overloaded dryer – we don’t believe the cause was suspicious.’

A large number of fire crews were called to the scene as a precaution given the blaze’s location in a high rise building, according to the firefighter.

No one was injured during the incident.

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