Although the Geofire brand was established in 2004, Geofire's history dates back over a Century to the extended family of the current Geofire Directors.
On Friday 6th October 1854, the impressive new mill premises of Messers Wilson & Sons stood on the Tyne riverbank in the North Eastern town of Gateshead. At half past midnight the mill was discovered to be on fire - The Great fire of Newcastle and Gateshead had officially begun.
Great quantities of oil in the gas-lit premises meant the efforts of the North British and Newcastle fire engines were in vain. The fire was made even worse when a seven-storey bond warehouse nearby also went up in flames. Built by Charles Bertram, the warehouse was used at the time to store thousands of tons of sulphur, nitrate of soda, and other combustibles. By 3am the entire warehouse was ablaze, lighting up the river and all its surrounds.
Crowds gathered to watch explosions that could be heard for miles around. Bridges shook, thick black smoke shot into the night sky and debris scattered across Newcastle and Gateshead.
A number of properties were destroyed, 53 people killed and hundreds injured.
Over a Century later, the physical effects on the two English towns are no longer visible. However, some claim that the events of Friday 6th October 1854 pre-empted Geofire's extensive work in the fire industry today.
From fire-starting to fire protection - The Geofire brand can ultimately be traced back to the ironic yet iconic roots of The Great fire of Newcastle and Gateshead.
Registered Address: Geofire, High Etherley, Bishop Auckland, Co. Durham, England, DL14 0HY
Registration Number 1061427
