Firm fined for safety breaches after fatal blaze

A housing provider has been fined for fire safety failings following a blaze that killed a vulnerable resident.

Housing association Mount Green was ordered to pay more than £120,000 at Staines Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.

The company pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to three safety regulation breaches in relation to a fire at its Greylees property in Godalming, Surrey in 2022.

Surrey Fire and Rescue Service area commander Lee Spencer-Smith said: "This sentencing was about accountability in terms of public safety."

The fire service, which brought the prosecution, said a wheelchair user was unable to escape and overcome by heat and smoke in the building corridor during the 2022 fire.

Several other residents were rescued by firefighters and some were treated for smoke inhalation.

The company's breaches included the failure to address safety recommendations from up to three years before the blaze, according to the fire service.

Mount Green director Marcus Canning said the company fully accepted the fine and extended its "deepest sympathies" to family of the person who died in the fire.

Work to address fire safety issues at Greylees began in April 2021 and completed in June 2023, according to the company.

"We remain committed to taking every learning point on board and have implemented changes to strengthen our processes and policies," Canning said.

Spencer-Smith said: "Responsible persons have a duty of care to their residents, particularly the most vulnerable members of the community.

"This outcome highlights the consequences of failures in fire safety management and the critical need for proactive, responsible action to protect people."

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