THREE PUMPING APPLIANCES manned by twenty fire fighters from Newport, Cowes and East Cowes supported by the aerial ladder tackled a fire at the 17th century Wheatsheaf county town hotel in Newport this morning (Friday November 19).
It’s believed that the hotel manager raised the alarm after a guest alerted him of a strong burning smell and the hotel started to fill with smoke.
Staff and guests were evacuated whilst four firefighters in breathing apparatus removed burned debris believed to have been caused by an electrical fault.
Fire crews used two hoses to extinguish a small fire discovered in an electrical intake room, in the basement of the hotel.
Kitchen staff and managers of the popular watering hole watched from behind a cordon as firefighters fought to stop the spread of the fire.
Hotel staff spent the afternoon working with electrical engineers from Scottish and Southern to restore power into the property.
No-one was hurt in the incident said station manager David Grundy, who was in charge of the incident.
“The hotel was occupied, a number of residents and staff were evacuated. We’ve had no injuries to firefighters or members of the public. Crews have done a really good job in containing the spread of this fire. “
