The full fire investigation report and its findings after devastating blaze in Barrow

FROM the moment firefighters arrived on the scene at the House of Lords on that fateful night of January 11, it was immediately clear that the fire they faced would be a major incident.

Residents were evacuated and at its peak, more than 60 firefighters from across Cumbria battled the blaze, but with strong winds and other factors suspected as playing a part, there was little anyone could do but try to control the fire.

The House of Lords is now a somewhat pitiful sight; its once grand stone features crumbling away and resembling a shell of its former self with its future still hanging in the balance while insurance assessors determine its fate.

Specialist investigators, a fire dog and detectives were called in to try and work out what had caused the fire, with police eventually revealing they had failed to find evidence of any criminal activity.

The Mail has made a number of attempts through the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to get hold of a copy of the official fire investigation report, and Cumbria County Council has now given us exclusive access.

Undertaken by station manager Roger Exley, who has been in the fire service for 25 years, Cumbria Fire and Rescue's investigation report goes into minute detail about the circumstances of the fire and the aftermath.

THE REPORT'S FINDINGS:

Back in 2014, a fire safety audit at Bar Continental was deemed to be unsatisfactory and the owners were told to carry out a raft of improvements;

At the time of the fire, one window in the annexe building at the back of the House of Lords was accessible as it was not boarded up like the other windows;

The keys to the House of Lords were hanging up in the serving area of the bar in Bar Continental;

The fire started in the upper part of the annexe building on the right;

Most of the ceiling/floor between the ground floor and first floor had been removed prior to the fire, which contributed to the fire spreading quickly;

There were no fire alarms in the House of Lords.

POSSIBLE CAUSES

In undertaking a fire investigation, Mr Exley is tasked with examining the seven causes of fires one-by-one and then discounting, or deeming as a possible cause, each one.

1. Electrical defect: No access could be gained to view or inspect the main fuse box due to the severity of the fire = This cause CANNOT be discounted.

2. Gas defect: No gas supply was found in the area where the fire started = DISCOUNTED

3. Smoking materials: None found in the area where the fire started = DISCOUNTED

4. Heating equipment: An LPG cylinder and heater was found in the building but this was undamaged and not near the point of origin = DISCOUNTED

5. Mechanical spark: No identifiable means of producing a spark = DISCOUNTED

6. Other ignition sources: None found = DISCOUNTED

7. Deliberate ignition: Unsecured access to the annexe building was found between the small boiler room and the disused toilets via a small window. Keys to the internal door into the House of Lords were hanging on a hook in the serving area of Bar Continental. Small amounts of petrol soaked into a foam material were found by a fire dog on the ground floor of the main House of Lords building. On questioning the occupiers this could not be accounted for. However, no traces were found within the point of origin of the fire = This cause CANNOT be discounted.

CONCLUSION

Due to the severity of the fire and rapid fire spread throughout the building it cannot be confirmed if the fire was accidental or deliberately started.

The only confirmed source of ignition within the room of origin is electrical wiring that could have short circuited thus causing an undetected fire to start. However, this does not explain why the fire spread quickly through other parts of the building.

Mr Exley concluded: "In my professional opinion I record the cause of the fire to be undetermined ."

The Mail has made contact with the owner of the building, Roger McKimm, who is currently in Australia. His insurance company's assessors are aware of our contact and we await a response.

TIMELINE: From the first 999 call to the release of the fire investigation report

8.56pm WEDNESDAY JANUARY 11, 2017 A 999 call is made by staff at Bar Continental after a passer-by notices flames coming from an upstairs window at the House of Lords.

9.30pm The annexe building suffers a "catastrophic collapse", forcing firefighters to flee for their lives.

JANUARY 12 Police join the fire investigation and launch an appeal for witnesses.

JANUARY 17 The founders of the Barrow R&B Club announce its demise following the loss of their venue at Bar Conti.

JANUARY 23 House of Lords' owner Roger McKimm speaks to The Mail from Australia about the fire.

JANUARY 24 Structural engineers visit the site to assess the building.

JANUARY 27 Scaffolding is used to shore up the front of the House of Lords to prevent collapse.

JANUARY 31 Abbey Road partly reopens to allow traffic to travel south towards the town centre.

FEBRUARY 20 Fire investigators and a fire dog are allowed inside the site to look for clues.

APRIL 4 The Mail reveals the fire investigation has identified petrol near to the source of the blaze in the upper floor of the building.

MAY 17 One lane of the northbound carriageway of Abbey Road finally reopens.

JUNE 21 Police confirm the criminal investigation has concluded and the cause of the fire is undeterminable.

JULY 30 Cumbria County Council release a copy of the fire investigation report to The Mail .