FIRE AT THE BLUE BOAR

BLUE BOAR ON FIRE
(Thanks to John Grantham for these great pics)

Just after 3.30pm on Monday afternoon Graham Birks was driving along Horsefair and noticed smoke coming from the first floor of the Blue Boar. He phoned 999 and was told they had already received another report. Things began to happen fast. The High Street was closed and a wide exclusion zone for pedestrians was set up. The sound of sirens was continuous as fire crews arrived one after another. By 4.30pm there were seven fire engines parked along the street plus other specialist support vehicles - including a communications unit. It all looked pretty serious. There was water everywhere, firefighters using oxygen cylinders and smoke still billowing from the first floor. The staff from the Blue Boar had been evacuated across the road to the Crown where they were watching anxiously from the window of the resident's lounge. According to one of them the fire had started in a first floor bedroom and had spread quickly. They were pretty sure everybody had got out OK. We will have to await further news of the internal damage which must be substantial. According to the Oxford Mail website, A spokesman for Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said two bedrooms and the roof were alight. Looks a bit more than that from the pics.
Jim Crease was at the scene later well after dark and took the pic below around 5.30 which shows how busy things still were. Below that is a pic Steve Turner took from his office window opposite the Blue of what looks like a massive clearing up operation. Firemen were still on the scene at 9.30pm.

Our thoughts are with Mike and Sarah who have been through a terrible ordeal. We wish them all the best in what will be a pretty awful time ahead sorting out the mess. I guess a roof fire in a medieval building in the middle of a busy town surrounded by other old houses constitutes a red alert for the Fire Service. They were certainly out in force today doing what looked like a superb professional job. Once again we owe them our gratitude.

(Picture by Jim Crease)

(Picture by Steve Turner)