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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Large fire breaks out at Fakenham factory shop | Large fire breaks out at Fakenham factory shop |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A large blaze has broken out at a factory shop in a Norfolk town centre. | A large blaze has broken out at a factory shop in a Norfolk town centre. |
| Fourteen crews and a search and rescue team are currently tackling the fire in the Market Square in Fakenham. | Fourteen crews and a search and rescue team are currently tackling the fire in the Market Square in Fakenham. |
| Eyewitness Andy Hogan said he saw the front windows of the shop blow out during an explosion and flames rising 16ft (5m) above the roof. | |
| Nearby homes were evacuated, Norfolk Fire Service said, and some roads shut. Some people have been treated for minor injuries by first aid teams. | |
| Mr Hogan said he was at a cafe about two doors down from the shop at 10.15 BST when he heard "crackling and popping" and saw black smoke. | Mr Hogan said he was at a cafe about two doors down from the shop at 10.15 BST when he heard "crackling and popping" and saw black smoke. |
| 'Major operation' | 'Major operation' |
| He said there were "small explosions" inside the shop and another followed as the front windows blew out. A car outside then caught fire. | He said there were "small explosions" inside the shop and another followed as the front windows blew out. A car outside then caught fire. |
| He said a number of staff were outside the shop "in shock" and it was thought the blaze had spread to an empty building next door. | He said a number of staff were outside the shop "in shock" and it was thought the blaze had spread to an empty building next door. |
| BBC Radio Norfolk reporter Jill Bennett said there was a huge plume of smoke over the town and it appeared buildings both side of the shop had been affected by the blaze. | BBC Radio Norfolk reporter Jill Bennett said there was a huge plume of smoke over the town and it appeared buildings both side of the shop had been affected by the blaze. |
| She said crews were pulling up water from the river at the bottom of the town to tackle it. | She said crews were pulling up water from the river at the bottom of the town to tackle it. |
| The fire commander at the scene told the BBC the fire had damaged up to six or seven properties and that people living in flats in the terrace had to be helped to safety. | |
| He said no-one had been severely injured and crews had since restricted the blaze to the shop where it originally broke out. | |
| He added that crews would remain on the scene for a number of hours, as they cannot tackle the fire from the inside because the building could collapse. | |
| The commander said it was "devastating" with the buildings being in one of the oldest parts of the town, but it could have been an "awful lot worse" with the structures containing a "significant amount of timber". | |
| It is not yet known how the fire started. |