A fire that seriously damaged a Co-operative store started in a freezer at the back of the shop.
A customer alerted a staff member to the fire, who then activated the alarm and evacuated the three-storey building of people.
Fire crews arrived at the shop, in Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire, just after 4.30 pm on 1 June. Finding the building completely smoke logged and with a complex layout, firefighters called for back up. Around 35 firefighters attended at the height of the blaze, which took around five hours to extinguish.
High pressure water hoses and thermal imaging cameras were used, as well as a positive pressure ventilation fan to remove any remaining smoke. According to Fire and Rescue service, the grade two listed building was severly affected. A total of 20% of the ground floor, 20% of the first floor and 10% of the roof space were severely damaged by fire.
tore manager, Dee Anderson, said: “Flames were coming out of the middle freezer in the back of the shop. My staff immediately operated the fire alarm, and then ensured everyone left the building safely and stayed out as well as evacuating neighbouring properties in case the fire spread.
“The fire service did a good job in tackling the fire so quickly. They were very reassuring and supportive throughout, keeping us informed and giving us advice about what we could consider doing after the fire.”
Station manager, Clive Pugh, said: “All the firefighters worked effectively in putting the fire out safely without delay. The building design, age, and smoke logging made this a challenging incident, and meant a large number of firefighters were needed to search the building and ensure the fire did not spread.”
