page_title: Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre
section_title: February 2002 fire
hierarchical_section_title: Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre / Controversies / February 2002 fire
caption_attribution_description: English: The aftermath of the Yarl's Wood fire, taken on the morning of 15th February 2002 from a distance of 3.5 miles.
context_page_description: Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre is a detention centre for foreign nationals prior to their deportation from the United Kingdom, one of 10 such centres currently in the UK. It is located near Milton Ernest in Bedfordshire, England, and is operated by Serco, which describes the place as "a fully contained residential centre housing adult women and adult family groups awaiting immigration clearance." Its population is, and has been, overwhelmingly female.
context_section_description: In early February 2002, the building was burnt down following a protest by the detainees. This was triggered by someone being physically restrained by staff. According to custody officer Darren Attwood, officers complied with orders to "lock the detainees in the burning building". Five people were injured in the fire.
caption: Yarl's Wood fire aftermath, February 2002
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