Wetherspoon pub evacuated after open-fire blaze in Shropshire

Up to 50 firefighters were called to a Wetherspoon’s pub in Shropshire after a fire broke out while customers were dining.

Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service said it was alerted at 1.14pm on Saturday (27 December) to the Hippodrome on Queen Street in Market Drayton.

In a statement posted on Facebook, the fire service said crews were met on arrival by the pub’s manager, who confirmed that all staff and customers had been safely evacuated and that there were no casualties.

Firefighters reported that the blaze was caused by hot embers from an open fire falling through a defect in the fireplace. This ignited the wooden floor and supporting timbers, allowing the fire to spread.

Damage was sustained to the floor, walls and ceiling within a raised seating area as a result of fire, heat and smoke.

“This was a challenging and complex incident due to hidden fire spread behind wooden panelling and the layout of the building,” the fire service said.

The incident was brought under control by 3.31pm, with crews remaining on site for a further two hours to cut away burnt timber.

According to local news outlet Birmingham Live, up to 50 firefighters attended the scene.

The building opened in 1927 as the town’s first purpose-built cinema and has previously operated as a bingo hall and supermarket before being taken over by Wetherspoon in 2007.

Image: Flickr