KentOnline

bannermobile

News

Sport

Business

What's On

Advertise

Contact

Other KM sites

CORONAVIRUS WATCH KMTV LIVE SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTERS LISTEN TO OUR PODCASTS LISTEN TO KMFM
SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE
News

Ashford: Crews tackle plant room fire at Lidl

By: Joshua Coupe

Published: 05:45, 20 December 2016

Around 20 firefighters tackled a blaze at a supermarket in Ashford overnight.

Crews were called to Lidl in New Street at midnight after the fire broke out in the shop's plant room.

It took teams just over two hours to bring the fire under control.

Firefighters outside Lidl's Ashford supermarket Picture: Callum Tilbee

The fire was discovered by staff working in the store, who raised the alarm and evacuated the building.

Fire crews were at the scene within five minutes of receiving the call and found smoke billowing out of the roof of the store.

mpu1

Four fire engines attended the incident and crews used a thermal imaging camera to scan the single-storey building to pinpoint the heat source.

VIDEO: The store has been struck by a fire.

A breathing apparatus team went into the shop and found the fire in a store room at the back.

They put the blaze out with a hose reel, which is believed to have started in a freezer and spread to other stock.

Crews were called just after midnight

The handheld thermal imaging device was also used to check if the fire had spread within the store.

Crews used three ventilation fans to clear smoke and fumes from the store and the Park Club gym next door.

The incident was reduced to two engines just before 2am and the last crew left the scene just before 3am.

It's not being treated as suspicious.

mpu2

The Lidl store is expected to remain closed today as the clear-up continues, but the Park Club gym confirmed they are open for business.

Ashford’s Lidl shop reopened in June 2014 following a lengthy refurbishment.

The discount German supermarket had been closed for several months while improvements were made to the inside and outside.

The revamp included building a bakery and a new entrance and exit lobby, as well as making the building lighter and more modern looking.

Read more

More by this author

sticky

© KM Group - 2024