Two women die in Hertfordshire care home fire

Two female care home residents died after a fire took hold of the New Grange care home in Cheshunt at 5.56am on 8 April.

Ivy Spriggs, 91, and Daphne Holloway, 88, have been named by Hertfordshire Constabulary as the two women who died, following the fire.

Firefighters used armchairs to carry many of the care home's residents to safety and managed to rescue 33 of the care home's 35 residents.

“Firefighters were faced with an extremely fierce fire, well established on the first floor and roof of the building which has since collapsed," a spokesperson from Hertfordshire County Council said.

Six people were treated for smoke inhalation at the scene by paramedics, and three people were taken to hospital to be treated for serious smoke inhalation.

The cause of the fire is still unknown and an inquiry into how the fire started is underway.

Local residents have been working with emergency services to help provide power supplies and refreshments. There has also been a JustGiving page created to help those residents who have lost everything in the fire. The amount raised on 10 April was in excess of £2,400.

Local authorities have liaised with the NHS, Quantum Care and the staff at New Grange to identify beds “in alternative care homes for 30 residents, based on assessments of their individual needs and liaison with their relatives. Beds were found for all residents by 4pm,” the council spokesperson said.

“Quantum Care provided extra staff at all of the receiving care homes to ensure they were able to manage the arrival of new residents; colleagues from the Herts Community Trust (district nursing team) were available to help on the scene, as well as make follow-up visits to care homes over the weekend and today.

“Social workers are now in the process of visiting all 30 individuals to carry out further assessments of their needs to ensure that beds are provided in the most suitable homes moving forward. Trauma support services will also be made available,” she said.