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Home » News & Events » 2011 » November » Business as usual following fire incident at Hereford restaurant

Business as usual following fire incident at Hereford restaurant

Firefighters were called to Saxtys bar and restaurant in Widemarch Street at 3.55pm on Saturday afternoon (12 November) following reports of smoke in the cellar. Three fire appliances from Hereford attended, and four firefighters in breathing apparatus equipped with two hose reels went into the smoke-filled basement to investigate. 


The stop message was given at around 5.50pm, with the cause of the smoke-logging believed to be from a fire in a piece of electrical equipment in the cellar.

Once the premises had been ventilated and checks had completed by an electrical engineer, the business was able to open as usual on Saturday evening.

Station Commander Sean Bailey from H&WFRS said: "This incident illustrates just what a difference a good fire prevention system can make to business continuity.

"Staff at the restaurant heard the smoke alarm activate and they were able to evacuate safely and call for assistance. The early intervention from the Fire Service and the good quality fire doors helped prevent the smoke from spreading to other parts of the building, and the restaurant was able to operate as normal on Saturday night.

He added: "Businesses have to ensure they comply with fire safety regulations and the measures they put in place as part of this undoubtedly pay for themselves in the event of fire, as Saturday's incident in Hereford shows so effectively."