Staff at a Nottinghamshire care home have been praised by the fire service for the way they handled a fire.

Fire crews from Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service were called to a significant blaze in a room at Hatzfeld Care Home in Blidworth on Tuesday, 21 February.

Staff had attempted to extinguish the flames using a fire extinguisher, but when it became too developed, they followed their emergency procedures by calling 999 and evacuating residents to the nearby R.E.A.L Independent School as per their contingency plans.

The staff came together as a team and along with compliant residents were able to evacuate everyone to a place of safety without any injuries.

Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service said the home’s six monthly fire safety staff training and regular fire safety drills were “invaluable” during the incident.

The home’s Hatzfeld Care App2 had also provided invaluable access to residents’ care plans and personal information as the grab brag where this was stored was too hot to touch.

Staff also effectively used Microsoft Teams to maintain constant communication passing on information regarding the safety and wellbeing of residents and staff, ensuring everyone was accounted for.

Karen Kirk, fire safety inspector for Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “We want to praise all the staff at Hatzfeld Care Home who acted quickly, professionally and in line with their well-established fire safety procedures.

“There were many vulnerable people involved and without the professionalism of the care home staff and how seriously fire safety was taken by them, we could have been facing a much more severe incident.

“This fire highlights the importance of carrying out regular fire safety training with staff and ensuring there is a clear business contingency plans in place should a fire occur.

“We encourage all businesses to review their fire evacuation plan, their contingency plans and carry out regular fire safety training. More information can be found on Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service’s website.”

A police investigation into the cause is still ongoing.