Update: Firefighters tackling blaze in Ross-on-Wye (From Ledbury Reporter)

Update: Firefighters tackling blaze in Ross-on-Wye

2:36pm Monday 18th February 2013 in News By Lydia Johnson

FIREFIGHTERS tackled a fire in a flat above a shop in Ross-on-Wye this afternoon.

Two crews from Ross fire station were called to the fire above the Madame Butterfly clothes store in Broad Street at 12.15pm.

An extra pump from Whitchurch was called to the second-floor flat as people were believed to be in the building, but it was later found to be unoccupied and no one was injured.

The fire caused severe damage in the lounge area where the fire started and smoke logging throughout the rest of the flat.

The fire, which is believed to have been started accidentally and is being linked to a reading lamp in the lounge, is now under control but crews remain at the scene damping down.

Station Commander Gary Jay from HWFRS said: “Thankfully this fire was spotted by a passer-by who raised the alarm and fire crews were quickly at the scene. Without this early alert, the damage could easily have been far worse.”

Broad Street has now re-opened to traffic.