Huge fire causes roof to collapse in Bournemouth as beachgoers told to stay away

The incident has happened on a day when tourists were urged to stay away from the seaside town because of overcrowding

A huge fire has ripped through a block of flats in Bournemouth, causing the roof to collapse and forcing residents to evacuate.

Nearby beachgoers were told to stay away as firefighters battled the blaze, which broke out in a third floor flat this afternoon.

Emergency services have already been stretched today. Thousands of tourists ignored warnings to stay at home and descended on the seaside town for one of the hottest days of the year.

Black smoke was seen billowing from the building as Brits flocked to the coast.

A roof has collapsed after a fire ripped through flats in Bournemouth

Nearby beach goers were told to stay away as emergency services dealt with the incident

Rescue services confirmed that no one was hurt in the fire.

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service wrote on Twitter: ‘Holdenhurst Road in Bournemouth is full of fire appliances as crews deal with a flat fire.

‘Everyone’s safe but there are road closures in place, so avoid going in and out of Bournemouth by the Asda roundabout!’

The fire has reportedly been raging for hours after breaking out at 4pm, with locals saying it appears to be getting worse.

Witness Jean-Luc Carden told the Bournemouth Daily Echo: ‘Half of the roof has now caved in and there are still flames at the back of the building.

‘I have been at the top of my building for about 30 minutes now and it looks like it got worse in that time worse. The road is completely shut from the job centre to the actual building (where the fire is).’ 

Another witness posted on Twitter: ‘At least half of the roof has now fallen in and we can see inside of the building.’

Black smoke was seen billowing from the building as Brits flocked to the coast (Picture: EPA)

A spokesperson for the fire service said that they had called for 12 pumps to be at the scene to allow for a supply of breathing apparatus, to ensure crews could rotate in the hot conditions. 

Dorset Police wrote in a statement: ‘Officers are at the scene to assist the fire service with road closures and to help evacuate nearby properties.

‘There are no reports of any injuries or people trapped.’

The fire comes as Bournemouth beach was put on red alert after thousands of tourists flocked to the coast amid the heatwave.

Red alert means that authorities believe maintaining social distancing – to reduce the risk of coronavirus spreading – is impossible, and that the area is unsafe for people.

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