A West Cumbrian house has been deemed such a serious fire risk it has been slapped with a sleeping ban.
The property – a house of multiple occupancy, also known as a HMO – has been issued a prohibition notice by Cumbria Fire & Rescue Service.
It is considered the strictest enforcement measure available to fire services across the country.
The fire service believes the property, in a West Cumbrian town, is a major fire risk and should not be used.
A sign has been posted to its front door, saying: “The Cumbria Fire & Rescue Authority is of the opinion that use of the premises involves a risk to people so serious that use of the premises ought to be prohibited.”
Cumbria Fire & Rescue Service said the communal areas of the property fell under the remit of the Fire Safety Order, which applies to commercial properties in England and Wales.
A fire service spokesman said: “We visited the premises and carried out an inspection which determined issues relating to: means of escape, detection, emergency lighting and no risk assessment in place.
“Due to the serious nature of the issues we issued the prohibition notice.
“The prohibition notice will be under review and lifted when we are satisfied all the areas of deficiency have been resolved.”
Measures must be taken by the person responsible for the property in order for the notice to be lifted.
These include providing adequate fire detection, providing adequate emergency lighting, providing adequate means of escape and providing a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment.
A prohibition notice immediately restricts use of a building to ensure people’s safety.
Prohibition notices are not commonly issued in Cumbria. Only six have been handed out across the county since the fourth quarter of 2024, the fire service said.
