YOUR Housing has issued a statement following concerns over fire safety at Rynet Court after the devastating blaze which saw 50 people evacuated from their homes on Marsh House Lane, Warrington, on Monday.
They have responded to criticism over the fact no fire extinguishers or sprinkler system was in the communal stairway where the blaze started and to claims that fire safety issues had been raised six years ago and not acted upon.
Safety inspections are still ongoing before any decision is made when residents can return to their properties, although the most extensive damage is to the communal stairway and not individual properties.
Fire Safety at Rynet Court
What was the cause of the fire?
The cause is still under investigation, but a minor has been arrested in connection with the fire. Initial reports today indicate that the building contained the fire in the way it was designed to, helping to keep residents safe and we are doing everything we can to support residents whilst they are unable to access their homes and work with the police as they continue to investigate.
When was the fire started and how was it reported?
On Tuesday 2 June at around 5.20 pm, the fire alarm system at Rynet Court detected a fire and alerted the authorities. The system also triggered other safety measures, including the opening of a vent at the top of the stairwell to let smoke escape and maintain clear escape routes. This significantly reduced the volume of smoke that got into people’s homes.
Is it true that the fire alarm was not working and residents had to inform each other about the fire starting?
Each flat has its own smoke detection alarms in the hallway and kitchen. These alert residents if a fire breaks out in their home.
However, if the fire is elsewhere, this particular building has been built in such a way as to keep residents safe inside their homes and contain fires for a period of time, and its Fire Emergency Plan is therefore Stay Put. This means that unless the fire is in their home, they can stay safely inside unless smoke or fire starts to impact them, they are told to leave by the fire and rescue services, or they wish to do so.
There is no fire alarm that sounds throughout the building altering everyone all at once as this is not required. They are safest when they are in their homes, rather than on stairwells and in corridors.
The Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) completed in February 2025 references what is installed with the following commentary;
“A fire detection system is installed within the common areas. Fire alarm systems in common areas of blocks of flats are normally only installed to activate smoke control/ventilation systems and are silent systems”.
The FRA highlights that “The lift lobby has automatic smoke detection linked to the automatic-opening smoke vents at each floor level. The staircase has an automatic-opening vent on the top floor and openable windows at every other level.”
In addition to the detection and automatic ventilation the building is provided with emergency lighting and also a dry riser for fire-fighting activities.
Why was there no sprinkler system in place?
Rynet Court has a Stay Put Fire Emergency Plan (FEP) in place, which operates on the premise that people will be rescued from their homes rather than exiting the building. The use of sprinklers is typically for buildings that rely on evacuating people through communal areas. As such, buildings that are below 11 metres in height are not required to have sprinkler systems.
The requirement for sprinklers applies to new buildings of 11 metres and above in height (typically five-storey buildings and above), therefore even if Rynet Court was built today it still would not require sprinklers.
Residents claim there were no fire extinguishers available. Is this true?
This is correct. The FRA refers to this making the following statement:
“There are no fire extinguishers within the common areas. It is not normally considered necessary to provide fire extinguishers or hose reels in the common parts of blocks of flats. Such equipment should only be used by those trained in its use. It is not considered appropriate or practicable for residents in a block of flats to receive such training. In addition, if a fire occurs in a flat, the provision of fire extinguishing appliances in the common parts might encourage the occupants of the flat to enter the common parts to obtain an appliance and return to their flat to fight the fire. Such a procedure is inappropriate”.
Residents have claimed that some cupboards at the front of the building were easily accessible and posed a fire risk. Is this true?
The fire was not the fault of any malfunction or due to anyone gaining access to electrical equipment. The electrical cupboard at the front of the building is locked. Some others, such as water meters, are more easily accessible to prevent the need for tradespeople accessing residents’ homes more frequently than necessary.
One resident has claimed that he has shared concerns over fire safety at Rynet Court for the last six years with no meaningful response from Your Housing Group (YHG). Can you tell us what actions you have taken in response to these concerns about fire safety at Rynet Court?
We work with fire safety experts to conduct regular Fire Risk Assessments (FRA) on each of our properties, detailing the risk associated with fires at a particular premises and the steps we take to keep everyone safe if a fire does break out. Our most recent FRA for Rynet Court was completed in February of this year (2025). We are fully compliant with all the rules and regulations associated with reducing the risks of fire and keeping people safe if one happens.
Residents are claiming that YHG wrote to them to say the access code would be changed but it never was. Is this true?
Earlier this year, we listened to residents’ concerns that some tenants were sharing their door codes with non-tenants who could then gain access to the building, despite us changing the codes only a few months prior. Listening to their feedback, we took the decision to instead move to a fob access system and each household was issued with two fobs.
It is important that residents respect their neighbours by not sharing access codes with non-residents.
Do you have CCTV at the building and if so have you shared footage with the police?
There is no CCTV system at Rynet Court.
What are you doing to support the people who have been forced out of their homes by this devastating fire?
We have placed residents into temporary accommodation, including local hotels, and provided them with vouchers to make sure they have their everyday essentials. We are now working on finding more appropriate accommodation for people while the work to repair Rynet Court gets underway.
We are also working with Warrington Borough Council and other partners to signpost residents to support services. This includes help to access wellbeing, banking, early years support and other services.
Each of our residents will have a dedicated Customer Liaison Officer and our teams are working around the clock to ensure they have the support they need.
Damage to Rynet Court
How bad is the damage to the building?
Our structural engineers have now carried out an initial inspection. While a full assessment is still ongoing, early findings suggest that the main damage has affected communal areas rather than individual homes. We’ll continue to investigate thoroughly and keep residents fully informed.
To ensure the site is secure and safe while assessments continue, we have arranged for 24-hour security guards to patrol the premises. All ground floor external doors and windows have also been secured. At this stage, access to the building remains restricted, but we are doing everything we can to allow safe access for you to collect essential items. We will keep residents updated on this.
How long will it be before residents can return to their homes?
It is too early to say how long it will be before residents can return home safely. Our teams have already got to work to understand the extent of the fire damage and what remediation will be needed.
Thank You
We’re incredibly grateful that everyone was safely evacuated and that no serious injuries occurred, and we want to thank the excellent emergency response teams involved, as well as our colleagues, who worked into the night.
We are now focused on supporting residents to make sure they have what they need until they can safely return home.
1 Comment
If it is true then maybe telling tenants not to leave trash in the communal stairwell as it was reported that it was a mattress that was set on fire, would be a start.