Neighbours describe ‘roar and crackle’ as fire engulfed building

NEIGHBOURS have described the horror of hearing the building next to them “roar and crackle” as a blaze took hold of a disused church building in Newport.

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service were called to the fire at the three-storey building on Lower Dock Street at 12.19pm on Tuesday.

More than 30 firefighters and five officers from Malpas, Duffryn, New Inn, Roath, Maindee, Cardiff Central, Barry and Merthyr Tydfil fire stations were called to the scene.

A spokeswoman for the fire service said crews were met with a “well-developed fire” throughout the building which caused the roof to collapse.

Neighbouring commercial and residential properties were evacuated as a precaution and Lower Dock Street was closed to pedestrians and traffic.

The fire service said the building, which used to be called the Abundant Life Centre, was still “structurally unstable” on Wednesday morning.

It meant the fire investigation team was unable to gain full access to the church yesterday and that the cause of the fire is still unknown.

Sue Roberts, a supervisor at ABC Taxis which is next door to the building, said: “Yesterday we were in work and saw black smoke coming out the windows. Within five or 10 minutes, there were flames so we had to evacuate the office.

“There were flammable products inside which blew up and that was it. For the next five hours it was pandemonium.

“We could hear things falling, cracking. When a fire takes hold, it speaks. There’s a roar and a crack and within minutes it just went up.

“It was horrendous.”