ABSTRACT
In 1982 a fire occurred in a large building in the north of England. The fire took many hours to fight and damp down. Five jets and six hosereel jets were used, and it was estimated by the Fire Brigade from their records that the whole process required 35,000 gallons (159,110 litres) of water. Financial considerations required that the building be back in use within the year, and the sum of insurance money eventually available was not as large as hoped. Compromises had therefore to be made with materials. Within 2 years of the fire dry rot was found, and over the next few years £87,244.00 was spent on treatment and consequent building works. The total plaintiff’s damages claimed in the legal wrangle that ensued amounted to £223,173.17. What went wrong and how could dry rot have been avoided? These questions and others are addressed in the present chapter.
