Grant
Administrator
Restaurant gutted in huge fire
EIGHT people escaped from a massive blaze at a Blackpool takeaway.
Up to 20 firefighters battled for three hours to bring flames under control at the Shalimar Gardens restaurant.
The blaze began in the kitchen of the Talbot Road premises and quickly spread to the roof after fire shot up a 30ft chimney. Residents in four first floor flats were sandwiched between the fire in the restaurant and that in the roof.
All occupants, believed to be employees, managed to get out after fire alarms sounded.
Talbot Road was closed from 10pm yesterday as fire crews from Blackpool, Bispham and St Annes were drafted in.
Crew Manager John Oates, from Blackpool fire station, said: "On arrival we initially thought it was a straight forward range fire, but on inspection we realised it was far more serious. The blaze had spread to the 30ft metal chimney at the back which was glowing bright red with flames coming out of the top.
"Although the fire was passing by the windows of the flats in the chimney, the residents had no idea and also thought it was contained to the kitchen.
"Luckily the fire alarms were working and they were alerted to the blaze quickly and were already outside when we arrived.
"There was severe damage to the restaurant and the roof area and as a precaution we left two crews at the scene for two hours and sent a crew back this morning to continue damping down in the roof space."
Four firefighters wearing breathing apparatus were sent in to tackle the cooker fire before crews discovered the extractor system had also caught fire, sending flames 30ft into the air.
Patrols assisted evacuees, who were moved to different accommodation, and maintained a road closure on Talbot Road until 1am.
The cause of the fire, which destroyed seating and the kitchen area of the premises, is not being treated as suspicious.
EIGHT people escaped from a massive blaze at a Blackpool takeaway.
Up to 20 firefighters battled for three hours to bring flames under control at the Shalimar Gardens restaurant.
The blaze began in the kitchen of the Talbot Road premises and quickly spread to the roof after fire shot up a 30ft chimney. Residents in four first floor flats were sandwiched between the fire in the restaurant and that in the roof.
All occupants, believed to be employees, managed to get out after fire alarms sounded.
Talbot Road was closed from 10pm yesterday as fire crews from Blackpool, Bispham and St Annes were drafted in.
Crew Manager John Oates, from Blackpool fire station, said: "On arrival we initially thought it was a straight forward range fire, but on inspection we realised it was far more serious. The blaze had spread to the 30ft metal chimney at the back which was glowing bright red with flames coming out of the top.
"Although the fire was passing by the windows of the flats in the chimney, the residents had no idea and also thought it was contained to the kitchen.
"Luckily the fire alarms were working and they were alerted to the blaze quickly and were already outside when we arrived.
"There was severe damage to the restaurant and the roof area and as a precaution we left two crews at the scene for two hours and sent a crew back this morning to continue damping down in the roof space."
Four firefighters wearing breathing apparatus were sent in to tackle the cooker fire before crews discovered the extractor system had also caught fire, sending flames 30ft into the air.
Patrols assisted evacuees, who were moved to different accommodation, and maintained a road closure on Talbot Road until 1am.
The cause of the fire, which destroyed seating and the kitchen area of the premises, is not being treated as suspicious.