Homes evacuated in horror pub blaze
AFIRE ripped through an historic pub as firefighters from five crews battled through the night to control it.
Firefighters were called to the inferno at the George and Dragon pub on Rainow Road in Higher Hurdsfield on Monday night.
Police cordoned off the area after the blaze broke out at around 7.35pm and neighbours from three homes were evacuated as the fire threatened to spread.
It is thought no-one was in the building when the fire broke out. Detectives are now working with firefighters to establish the cause of the blaze.
Simon Gibbons, protection delivery manager at Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service who attended the incident, said the fire spread quickly from the ground floor to the first floor of the building.
He said: “On arrival the crews faced a fire that quickly escalated.
“Initially they fought the fire from inside the building using hose reels, but withdrew due to intensity of the blaze and fought it from above using the hydraulic platform.
“The crews worked well, preventing this fire from spreading to nearby properties, as they got the flames under control quickly.”
Highways
officers attended to grit the road due to icy conditions which were causing problems for the firefighters, and part of Rainow Road was closed, eventually reopening on Tuesday.
Mr Gibbons said: “It was an extremely cold night so water from the hose reels was freezing on the road, hence the need to grit the area.”
Two engines from Macclesfield, one from Poynton, one from Bollington and a hydraulic platform and water bowser from Derbyshire attended and worked through the night to control the blaze.
Firefighters removed roof tiles to tackle the fire from above while also trying to protect neighbouring properties.
An electrician attended to ensure the electrics were off and a fire investigation officer was called to identify a cause.
Investigations continued through Tuesday morning before crews eventually left the scene at midday. Parts of the roof are now missing due to the extensive damage caused by the fire.
The community was shocked to see the fire ravage the building, parts of which are thought to be 400 years old.
Richard Buckley, Higher Hurdsfield Parish Council chairman who lives near to the pub, said: “The fire engines were parked outside our house. It’s a shock to see a fire like that so close to where you live.
“It’s a really old pub, parts of it are 400 years old, and it’s such a shame to see all its history go up in flames.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Cheshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.