The historic former Ryde Town Hall is on fire, with firefighters from across the Isle of Wight working to contain and extinguish the blaze, which has broken out in the heart of Ryde.
It was shortly before midnight that smoke was seen issuing from the upper floors of the grand building on Lind Street, which has remained derelict for many years.
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service has 6 pumping appliances, an aerial ladder platform, water carrier and command support unit in attendance, with crews continuing to tackle the flames.
Island Echo is told that firefighters have, thankfully, got on top of the situation, with Station Manager Sean Harrison MBE praising the swift initial actions of the first crews to arrive on scene.
Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus are fighting the fire externally using main jets, hose reel jets, 3x 135 ladders and the ALP. A water dam has been established.
The blaze is located to the rear of the former theatre building and is still burning in the roof space – but overall the building has been saved from destruction.
Although a cause is yet to be ascertained, witnesses have reported seeing youths entering the secured premises earlier in the night, sparking fears of arson. Ryde residents have feared the building’s fate for years – some saying it was only a matter of time.
Smoke continues to billow into the night sky with an acrid smell strong for miles around.
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service is advising households in the area to keep windows and doors shut, and to avoid the area.
Firefighting efforts are likely to remain ongoing for some time in an effort to save the important piece of Ryde’s architectural heritage.
UPDATE @ 02:40 – Almost 3 hours after the blaze broke out, the incident is now starting to be scaled back.
Focus is now entirely on the rear of the building, with firefighters utilising the ALP to get a closer look of the roof.
Fleet support has been called in to replenish breathing apparatus cylinders, with some appliances now being released back to station.
Lind Street, St James’ Street and Market Street remain closed to all traffic – but Lind Street is expected to reopen before dawn.
UPDATE @ 03:09 – The fire is now out and the incident has been scaled back to just 3 appliances.
UPDATE @ 08:10 – All fire crews have now left the scene, bringing the incident to a close.
A crew from Ryde are expected to return later this morning to conduct further checks.
Two things:
Whoever owns this building needs to find a proper use for it, together with the significant investment it needs to bring it back into use. Is it even insured? I doubt it? All building owners need to be responsible, or am i kidding myself?
Also, to the feral idiots that did this – go see a doctor.
No jail time..
Ryde have been given circa £20,000,000 over 20 years to fix the town but apparently even that isn’t enough to fix the Town Hall.
They wasted money on surveys to determine the condition and the result is that they don’t know the condition.
Will end up being some filthy HMO probably.
what a coincidence, somewhere for illegals needed on the island, and the inside of this building is gutted by fire, just a cheap way to clear out the old unsafe internals. Obviously arson. But like the ventnor gaiety arcade that was clearly arson, loads of evidence, but it wasn’t arson apparently.
Why not use this once grand building to house
persons who have had to flee their countries
due to being obliviated.
Everyone deserves a roof over their head.
After all the island houses hundreds of undeserving
anti-social druggies.
There is a certain logic to your posting, but it is flawed, at least these are are our own anti social druggies, not a group of supposed refugees whose reasons when questioned for arriving in the UK give word perfect answers that exactly match the criteria of our legislation for letting them in, not as if they have been coached or anything by the warped do gooders who take day trips to france to instuct said illegals, one charity actually takes an interpreter with them on their weekly day trips so they make sure to get their point across , these so called do gooders call themselves a charity so they can claim all their expenses back from the UK tax payer, so we pay to house and feed these illegals and we also pay for charities to encourage there entry.
Ask yourself a question
Would you rather live next door to a scummy druggie
or a migrant.
I would choose a migrant WHO MAY BE OK
the druggie will never be ok
Why should those who come here illegally and drain the country of money and safety get anything for free. Kick them out. We don’t want or need them.
True, but if the West didn’t blitz their countries
they wouldn’t need to flee their countries.
Oh that’s just bollocks..
It’s the truth, what if WW3 starts and Brits want to flee
to another country!
Remind me, when did the UK ever “obliviate” Pakistan or Eritrea or Nigeria or Syria etc. etc.
None of these countries are at war.
They are not fleeing anything. They are coming to live off the taxpayer and r*pe your children.
Oh dear! No sooner are the results in from the Ryde Neighbourhood Board’s Community Grants Programme, or The Freeloaders Bunfight as it is commonly known, than a fire breaks out at the old Ryde Town Hall.
Apparently the original £100,000 of “free money” was doubled to £200K and the “requests” for this financial largesse totalled more than £1.2 million.
According to the “acting chair”, all of this free money should make Ryde a “better place to live and work”.
Really? Lipstick. Pig. Pig!
No doubt those worthy folks who spotted “youths entering the secured premises” reported it immediately to Plod, and Plod immediately leapt into action to prevent criminal activity and loss of a valuable amenity. No?
There is NO law and order thesedays
They did attend but the youths returned later on
Youths of today don’t respect the law, back in the
old days the law would have dealt with them properly.