1996 Channel Tunnel Fire - Response

Response

Response teams were mobilised on both sides of the channel, the French team of eight fire-fighters leaving at 21:56 and the British team of eight fire-fighters leaving at 22:03. Initially there was confusion as the location of the train and the French team found the passengers in the service tunnel at 22:28. The driver was rescued from his cab a minute later and search of the coach and front locomotive confirmed no-one was on board the train. With the French team treating the casalites, the fire fighting was initially left the British team. A reconnaissance team located the fire, the British second response was requested and Kent Fire Brigade informed of the fire. While the fire fighting was being planned the French second response team arrived and took control.

The fire was located between two cross-passages and teams of firefighters from both countries fought the fire For the next five hours. Each shift of firefighters could work in the tunnel only for short periods of time before returning to the service tunnel. The water supply was restricted, mainly due to leaking pipework in the south running tunnel and the number of jets was reduced until a Eurotunnel engineer reconfigured the valves.

The fire was mostly out by 05:00 the following morning and declared extinguished at 11:15. There were no fatalities, although the people on the train suffered smoke inhalation, and there were no reported injuries to the firefighters.