2:00pm Saturday 21st November 2009
By Alison Cridland
The senior fireman in charge of carrying out a risk assessment at a firework factory blaze had not received any training to deal with explosives for years.
Philip White, the former station manager at Newhaven and Seaford, was called out to the fatal fire at Marlie Farm, Shortgate, near Lewes, on the afternoon of December 3 2006.
Mr White, who has since retired, had only been at the scene of the blaze for a few minutes when a metal container packed with fireworks exploded.
Support officer Brian Wembridge, 63, and retired firefighter Geoff Wicker, 49, were both killed in the blast.
Martin Winter, 52, the managing director of Alpha Fireworks, and his son Nathan Winter, 25, both of Marlie Farm, deny the manslaughter of Mr Wembridge and Mr Wicker.
Mr White, who had worked for the fire service for 36 years, told Lewes Crown Court he had begun to carry out a risk assessment when he was informed fire crews had been ordered to withdraw from the site because of a shortage of water to fight the spreading fires.
But during cross-examination, Mr White admitted he had "very little training" in dealing with explosives.
The trial continues.
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