What happened to Leo’s Supermarket in Bristol?

On 4 February 1996 a fire broke out in Leo’s Supermarket, Bristol. The fire quickly took hold and spread throughout the premises.

Tragically, the fire would claim the life of firefighter Fleur Lombard. Fleur died while searching for missing people and fighting the blaze. She was the only female firefighter to die on duty during peacetime Britain.

The building had been adapted for use as a store over the years, but was once a number of terraced houses which were converted in the mid 1960s into a small department store. It was converted again during 1972 to a supermarket and as a result had a maze of rooms and uses throughout.

How did the Leo’s Supermarket fire start?

The fire was started deliberately by a security guard who was later sentenced for manslaughter and arson.

The room in which the fire started had additional fire-loading including the melamine-coated chipboard walls, painted fibre-board ceiling, various packaging and a crisp/nut store.

The fire developed rapidly producing a maximum heat output of 8-10MW. Smoke and hot gases were building throughout with thick and dense smoke causing ignition of the gases below the ceiling void - later calculated to ignite at five metres per second.

The explosion caused parts of the construction to weaken and parts of the structure began to fall.

What can the industry learn from the Leo’s Supermarket fire?

The tragic death of Fleur Lombard led to research into whether the equipment/protective clothing she had been wearing was appropriate for her body type.

The Fleur Lombard Bursary fund was later set up by Avon Fire and Rescue Service in her memory. It provides travel grants to junior UK firefighters who wish to visit fire services in other countries.