Firefighters tackle blaze at restaurant in Rochester High Street
Firefighters survey the
damage at the Kebab and Chicken Hut
Dozens of firefighters tackled a blaze today at a kebab shop in
a historic high street.
It began in the ventilation system at the Kebab & Chicken
Hut, Rochester High Street.
It spread to the first floor, sparking panic when neighbours
claimed they had seen people inside.
Dan Firth, owner of the nearby Nimbus Lighting shop and one of
many who dialled 999, said: "It was coming out of all the windows,
it was unbelievable."
When firefighters wearing breathing apparatus searched the
four-storey historic building, they found no trace of anyone
inside.
The call at 10.15am drew five fire engines and a height vehicle
from stations as far away as Hoo and Thames-side.
Police shut off the high street while ambulance crews stood by
and firefighters put out the blaze using hoses and a fan.
Firefighters also spoke to the kebab shop owner, who it is
thought was present at the time.
Mike Robins, watch manager at Medway Fire Station, said: "En
route we could see the smoke coming out of the roof from Chatham
Hill, so we requested a height vehicle and two additional fire
engines.
"On arrival we were told someone had been seen going in and
hadn't been seen since, so we searched the building but found it
empty.
"It's an old-style building and we committed a lot of crews
because the whole building could have been at risk."
The cause of the fire is being investigated.
02/01/13
- Click here for more Medway news...
- Click here for more news from across the county...