Borehamwood was the world-renowned centre for fire research for nearly 70 years. MARTYN KENT looks back at the site now being changed into a housing estate Such was the significance of Borehamwood's Fire Research Station that it was known across the world in fire research circles.

Work carried out at the complex played a crucial role in improving fire safety standards, particularly for industrial buildings, and large scale simulations of devastating fatal fires were undertaken at the site in Station Road.

The Testing Station focused on testing parts of specially-built industrial buildings — especially walls and floors — by simulating the heat of fires in large furnaces.

Structures were subjected to temperatures reaching 1200 degrees centigrade and tested to make sure that they did not collapse or allow fire to spread.

Such tests played an important role in determining standards that fire insurers would then impress upon builders and architects.

A group of fire insurers, known as the Fire Officer's Committee, set up the testing station in 1935, and it was this original core of the entire complex that was the last section to be in use, up until its closure two years ago.

During World War Two, the Government realised that very little was known about the science of fire. They decided to combine forces with the fire insurers to set up the Joint Fire Research Organisation in 1946 to administer the work of the Fire Research Station.

By the early 1950s, the Station could boast an expertise on industrial fire problems, including assessing the hazards of different materials. Work was done on fire detection, such as fire alarm systems which detected heat rather than smoke, and the latest fire extinguishers and sprinklers were also put through their paces.

As time went on, so the latest forms of construction were put to the test by the station's workers according to their knowledge at the time, advice was given to industry and detailed scientific research was undertaken.

Peter Smith, who worked on a whole range of projects during 40 years at the station, said: "This was the only comprehensive centre for fire research in the country. In fire research circles, the Borehamwood Station would have been known around the world."

After a period of considerable expansion, nearly 250 people worked at the Station in 1976, but a Government decision to cut funding into research work then led to the disbanding of the Joint Fire Research Organisation, effectively splitting the site in two.

Testing work on part of the Station Road site continued, and with the acquisition of a Cardington airship hangar large scale simulations of fatal real-life fires could be carried out.

Simulations carried out included the 1979 Manchester Woolworths fire, the 1981 Stardust Disco fire in Dublin and the 1984 Maysfield Leisure Centre fire in Belfast. Houses were also built and set alight for testing purposes.

Funding restrictions soon limited the station's work, with less emphasis being put on scientific research, and by 1992 the number of people employed at the Fire Research Station was reduced to just over one hundred. As part of a cost-cutting exercise, much of its work was transferred to the Building Research Establishment (BRE) site at Garston in 1994.

In 2001 the test work, which continued in Borehamwood, was also transferred to the BRE. Today, the site is being developed into 277 homes.