Police remain on scene in Ryde this morning (Monday) as investigations to establish the cause of a blaze – which severely damaged a residential address – get underway.
It was just gone 19:00 yesterday evening when Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service was alerted to a fire having broken out at a property off Monkton Street, near East Street.
5 appliances, 2 water carriers, an Aerial Ladder Platform and the Incident Command Unit were all mobilised to the scene, with wholetime and retained crews working through the night to contain and extinguish the blaze – one of the largest incidents the service has tackled on the Island for several months.
Access to the affected property proved tricky with firefighters running hoses through a narrow alleyway, whilst also dowsing the flames from above using the Aerial Ladder Platform from Newport.
Local residents were evacuated with an emergency shelter established by the local authority’s Emergency Planning team at nearby Montkon Arts. Cordons were established in the area.
Daylight has revealed that a cottage property – sandwiched in a courtyard between residential and commercial units – has been severely damaged by the blaze. Thankfully, the fire has not spread to any of the neighbouring properties.
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary have officers in attendance with a cordon established around the scene. Police say that they are assisting the fire service as investigations continue.
No comment has yet been provided on whether any casualties were caught up in last night’s blaze, amid fears a man may have been inside the property when the fire began. The Isle of Wight Ambulance Service dispatched 2 ambulance crews and an operational commander to the incident, who remained on standby.
A spokesperson for Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service has said:
“We received a number of calls reporting a fire at a property on Monkton Street in Ryde at 19:10 yesterday evening.
“Crews from Ryde, Sandown, Newport, Shanklin and Cowes were called out, and were supported with the aerial ladder and water carrier vehicles.
“Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used jets and hose reels to extinguish the fire which caused the roof of the property to collapse.
“The scene was dampened down before crews returned to station, leaving police to guard the scene ahead of a joint investigation today”.
