Blaze on Unthank Road
Picture submitted by: Marc Oldman
Thousands of pounds worth of art was saved from damage last night, due to the quick response from the fire service.
5 fire crews arrived within minutes of the fire alarm being triggered at The Grapevine art gallery, at 109 Unthank Road.
The alarm was also raised by an employee at Subway sandwich bar next door, who noticed smoke rising from the roof.
Kate Petzold, who works at The Grapevine said: “If it wasn’t for the lad next door raising the alarm so quickly, a lot more damage would have been done.”
The fire crews used an aerial platform, which allowed them access to the top of the roof where the fire started. They used breathing apparatus and hose reel jets from the platform to put out the fire.
Watch manager Andrew Bilton, from Norfolk Fire and Rescue, said: “When we got there, there was smoke issuing from the roof through the tiles. We were concerned that there were people in the flat above, although fortunately that was not the case. We had crews going in from the front and the back. We were called by a member of the public and it was good that they rang, because it had the potential to be quite a serious fire.”
Alison Low, who owns The Grapevine, said: “The firemen did a brilliant job of keeping the fire contained. They had a crane which lowered a heat sensor over the roof to pick up hot spots. They even came back at around 11.30 pm to double check that the fire was out. We’ve come out of this virtually unscathed and were open to the public by 10 am.”
The cause of the fire is as yet unknown, but is being investigated by police.
Work is underway to make the roof watertight, before workmen carry out the repairs. The Grapevine sells art and ceramics, including work by many local artists. They also have a ceramics studio for adults, children or families to use. Alison Low added: “We may have to cordon off the rear of the gallery while the work is carried out, but we will stay open.”
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