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Large fire breaks out at Fakenham factory shop | Large fire breaks out at Fakenham factory shop |
(35 minutes later) | |
A large blaze has destroyed a factory shop and damaged several other buildings 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. | 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. No-one has been severely hurt. | |
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. |
He said there were "small explosions" inside the shop and another followed blowing out the front windows. 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 on both sides 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, David Ashworth, told the BBC the blaze had damaged six or seven properties and that people living in flats in the terrace had to be helped to safety. | |
He said some people were treated for minor injuries by first aid teams, but crews had since restricted the blaze to the shop where it originally started. | |
He added that crews would remain on the scene for a number of hours, as they could not tackle the fire from the inside because the building could collapse. | |
Mr Ashworth said it was "devastating" that the buildings were 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 began. |