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Incident directory

1985 - Bradford City Football Stand

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11/05/1985

Country:

Severity:

Fatal

Description

Date of event:

11^th May 1985

Time of event:

Approximately 15:40 (fire initially noticed)

Name of premises:

Valley Parade Stadium, Bradford City Football Ground.

Location:

Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom (UK).

Number of fatalities (if relevant):

Fire service area:

West Yorkshire Fire Brigade, now West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Nature of incident:

Fire.

Property/premises/environment type:

Football stand.

Premises use:

Sports ground.

Construction type and materials:

Mainly wooden with steel frame and some concrete areas.

Occupancy:

Members of public.

Fire source and location of fire:

Believed to be accidental ignition involving smoking materials and collections of waste paper etc that had collected for a number of years underneath a mainly wooden stand.

Synopsis

Brief Synopsis:

On Saturday 11^th May 1985 during a televised third division football match between Bradford City and Lincoln City a fire started within block G, underneath the wooden seating area, within the main stand of the Bradford City Football ground at Valley Parade. Within 5 minutes the whole of the stand was alight with several hundred supporters having to leave the stand over a 4 to 5 foot high fence to get to the football pitch.

56 persons died.

Unknown reference at this time.

Popplewell Inquiry interim Report (1985).

Unknown reference at this time.

Popplewell Inquiry interim Report (1985).

Unknown reference at this time.

Popplewell Inquiry interim Report (1985).

Main findings, key lessons & areas for learning:

Further information hoping to be identified and still to be located.

Government (national and/or local) summary of main findings, conclusions, key lessons & recommendations:

Unknown author. (Unknown date). Bradford City Fire. [online]. Available here. http://bradfordcityfire.co.uk/popplewell-inquiry/ (Accessed 23^rd July 2016).

Government (agency and/or department) summary of main findings, conclusions, key lessons & recommendations:

Further information hoping to be identified and still to be located.

Fire & Rescue Service summary of main findings, conclusions, key lessons & recommendations:

Further information hoping to be identified and still to be located.

Other report summary of main findings, conclusions, key lessons &recommendations:

Further information hoping to be identified and still to be located.

IFE Commentary & lessons if applicable:

None produced at this time.

Known available source documents:

Further information hoping to be identified and still to be located. Or not relevant.

FRS Incident Report/s:

No information identified to date and/or still to be located. or not relevant.

Local Police Service or Constabulary Incident Report/s: