Corner shop hit by blaze (From Warrington Guardian)

Corner shop hit by blaze

NEIGHBOURS in Howley were on red alert on Monday morning when a fire tore through a corner shop.

Emergency services were called to the Wellington Street address shortly after 7am when residents spotted the flames and police were reported to have evacuated six homes as a precautionary measure.

The fire started in the end property of a row of terraced homes, Howley General Stores, and ripped off the roof as well as causing severe damage to both floors of the building and destroying the stairwell.

Fire crews were forced to install their own ladder to access the top floor of the building.

Although nobody was hurt in the incident, the fire was tackled by four fire engines and is believed to have raged for more than an hour, with the clean-up operation taking twice as long.

A spokesman for the fire service said: "The damage was so severe that it must have been smouldering for some time before it was reported."

Fire investigators were still working on establishing the cause of the blaze.

One resident said that the fire has caused concern among neighbours in the street.

He said: "It was a bit of a shock when we got up, but no-one was hurt which is the main thing."

l For an update on the Wellington Street fire, see this week's Warrington Guardian.