City Hotel Evacuated During Midnight Blaze

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30115, 26 April 1963, Page 15

City Hotel Evacuated During Midnight Blaze

Guests and staff were evacuated from the United Service I Intel when fire broke out late last night. The alarm was given at 1130 p.m. and within a few minutes the 50 guests and about 30 members of the hotel staff had been roused and were outside the building. Many were dressed only in their night attire.

The fire, which spread from e boiler furnace in the hotel k.tchen on the first floor to the walls and ceiling of the kitchen, was well under contr 1 by midnight, and was cnfined to that area Damage was fairly severe At the height of the blaze, showers of sparks which cmcoded from a large chimney in the south-west comer of the hotel roof, were visible several miles out in the suburbs. and soon drew a crowd wmeh swelled the number of bystanders from about the city. Eight Are brigade units, including the large extension kdder, were called to the

scene One hese was taken up the stairs from the Hereford street entrance, while a fireman examined the roof and chimney from the vantage point of the extended ladder Guests w’ere able to return to the foyer of the hotel soon after midnight. They were

able to return to their rooms when a thorough examination had been made and the fire completely extinguished. Although the guests were able to return to their rooms firemen remained on duty. Damage was not sufficiently severe to prevent catering for the guests today.