False Alarm Sparks Fire Response at Reading Tool Hire
Fire crews rushed to the David Hunt Tool Hire on Bath Road in Knowl Hill, Reading, yesterday evening – but it was all a false alarm. The Royal Berkshire Fire & Rescue Service confirmed the scare at around 8.40pm was triggered by a smoke cloak, not a fire.
Smoke Cloak Causes Panic
A Wargrave Fire Station spokesman said: “We were called to a business in Reading at around 8.40pm.” Thames Valley Fire control sent two fire engines to the scene immediately.
Firefighters forced entry using a wrecking bar and two crew members, decked out in breathing apparatus, searched the premises. They found no fire – just the activated smoke cloak setting off the alert.
Incident Handed Over to Police
The team then ventilated the building with positive pressure ventilation to clear the smoke. The incident was passed to the police for further investigation. Thames Valley Police have been contacted for a statement.
