Fire in two-storey converted restaurant

Firefighters were called to the scene of a fire involving a two-storey converted restaurant in Fore Street, Harlow on Thursday morning.

Crews confirmed on arrival that the premises, which measures around 10 metres by 20 metres, was 25% alight and completely smoke logged. The fire itself had spread within the roof space.

Crews divided the area into sectors to allow them to surround the fire and make the scene safe as quickly as possible.

At 5.30am, James Taylor, Group Manager at Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, said: "I'd like to thank our crews for their quick response to begin managing this incident quickly and professionally in difficult conditions.

"Right now, we're working hard to get the fire under control - so for safety reasons many of the nearby roads will be closed this morning. We are likely to be here for some time making the scene safe before completing a fire investigation to understand the cause of the fire.

"With that in mind, please avoid the area if you're planning to travel this morning and allow extra time to your journey if you live or work nearby. Thank you for your co-operation."

At 6.30am, the fire was under control. An Aerial Ladder Platform, which allows crews to work at height, was in use to support the cutting away of the roof to access and extinguish remaining hotspots within the structure.

Fortunately, thanks to the hard work of crews, the building has avoided significant damage. The road remained closed for much of Thursday. Firefighters worked with Essex Police and local residents to manage access to nearby properties.

The fire was fully extinguished by 8.45am and the last crews were able to leave the scene at 1.45pm.

A fire investigation has determined the cause was deliberate.