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Home » News & Events » 2012 » January » Urban Search & Rescue Crew Called to Pub Fire

Urban Search & Rescue Crew Called to Pub Fire

The fire, involving a beam above a logburning stove at the Farmers Arms pub in Birtsmorton, was noticed at around 10.25am, and two fire crews from Ledbury attended, along with the USAR unit from Droitwich.

Members of the USAR team shored up the fireplace to allow the safe removal of part of the beam and the logburner.

Station Commander Adrian Thompson from Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service (HWFRS) explained: “The occupants noticed the beam was smoking before the pub opened for business on Sunday morning and so called the Fire Service.

“On arrival, firefighters found a deep-seated smouldering in the horizontal beam above the fireplace, and so requested the attendance of the specialist USAR team who were able to shore up the fireplace. Crews then cut away a significant section of the affected timber and removed the logburner to ensure the fire was fully extinguished.”

The stop message was given at around 1.15pm although crews made a further inspection at around 6pm as a precautionary measure.

No one was injured during the incident and while there was only minimal damage to the premises, the owners were advised to consult with structural engineers and conservation officers as the pub is understood to be a listed building.