PROBE AS PUB BADLY DAMAGED BY BLAZE
POLICE INVESTIGATION GOES ON AFTER MAN RESCUED FROM EARLY-MORNING FIRE
A police investigation was today continuing after a man had to be rescued from the rooftop of a Sunderland pub engulfed in flames.
Fire crews from Sunderland Central, Marley Park and Farringdon fire station were called to The Saltgrass, in Deptford, at 1.33am yesterday.
A police investigation was today continuing after a man had to be rescued from the rooftop of a Sunderland pub engulfed in flames.
Fire crews from Sunderland Central, Marley Park and Farringdon fire station were called to The Saltgrass, in Deptford, at 1.33am yesterday.
The two-storey building, which is opposite the Liebherr crane factory, consists of a pub on the ground floor and accommodation on the first floor.
Firefighters used a ladder to rescue a 45-year-old man from the flat roof of the building, in Hanover Place.
He was checked over at the scene by paramedics but didn’t need hospital treatment.
The fire was confined to the bar area, which suffered major damage. The first floor was also damaged by smoke.
Police and fire crews were busy at the scene yesterday to investigate exactly what happened.
A Northumbria Police spokeswoman said yesterday: “Police got a call about 2.20am this morning about the fire at the Saltgrass pub in Sunderland.
“Officers were deployed to help the Fire Service and enquiries are ongoing to determine the circumstances around the incident.”
Group manager with Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, Bill Forster, said: “We got a call at about 1.30am following reports of a building on fire.
“Firefighters used breathing apparatus and a hose reel to contain and then extinguish the fire.
“We believed a man inside at the time climbed out on to a flat roof area.
“This is now an ongoing investigation.”
The fire comes just months after regulars toasted a new look at one of the city’s oldest boozers.
The pub was closed for 12 weeks while £60,000 worth of renovations were carried out to the historic watering hole.
At the time it reopened, owner Theresa Ingram told the Echo she felt strongly about retaining the venue’s rich heritage.
She said at the time: “The pub is so well-known in Sunderland and it has such a richhistory. When the shipyards were open, it was said that the bartender knew everyone so well he’d have all their orders of ales lined up on the bar for them, ready for their break.
“And you often hear of people saying their grandma or grandad used to drink here.
“I love this pub and I felt really passionately about keeping that sense of history. So we’ve brought back a lot of old items and photos of people who used to drink here which were in the loft or storage and put them back, while also bringing the pub up to date.”
The pub dates back to 1842 and is believed to have got its name from a nearby mill which used esparto grass to make paper.
Theresa who has owned the pub for the past seven years with husband Peter, decided to take over the management side.
Speaking in May, she said: “Although we’ve owned it for seven years it’s been managed by other people, but I’ve taken over all aspects of the pub now.
“The pub was starting to look a bit tired, which is why we decided to close for refurbishment.
“But we’ve kept the character, such as replacing the open fire, which people love, as it was falling apart.”