Four escape from restaurant blaze

29 July 2010

Two restaurants were forced to shut because of fire and water damage

TWO restaurants were forced to close and four people evacuated following a huge blaze in Hornchurch.

The fire started in a first floor storage area above Tarantino Italian restaurant, in High Street, and part spread into the storage area above neighbouring The Welcome Inn, a Chinese restaurant, in the early hours of Friday morning.

Four people in the flat above The Welcome Inn fled after smelling smoke as the fire started to spread.

No-one was injured or needed medical treatment.

A cab driver raised the alarm shortly before 4am.

Four fire engines, an aerial ladder platform and approximately 25 firefighters were sent to tackle the inferno.

Blue watch manager for Hornchurch Fire Station, Andrew Smith, who attended said: "Tarantino's roof has basically been completely destroyed by the fire.

"There's no roof on it at the moment.

"It collapsed into the restaurant downstairs. The rest was water damage where we extinguished the fire.

"I don't think they'll be open for a while."

Veronica Butler, office manager for Tarantino, which also has a branch in Brentwood, said: "We'll probably be closed for about a year.

"Although the fire was contained in the upper levels the water and smoke damage came right the way through.

"Obviously there's a rebuild needed of the actual building and a new interior.

"It was heartbreaking when I saw it. It's just dreadful."

Tons of stock was ruined during the fire and afterwards when the power to fridges and freezers had to be turned off.

Around 110 bookings each for Friday and Saturday and a further 63 for Sunday, which included several large parties for birthdays and hen nights, had to be cancelled with a few able to be transferred to the Brentwood branch.

Veronica said: "It would have been one of our busiest weekends for a while."

About 10 staff have also been laid off.

Neighbouring The Welcome Inn managed to escape with less damage.

Its upstairs storage area started to become smoke-logged and the roof was slightly damaged, meaning it too was forced to close for the weekend.

But owner Mr Poon said on Monday he expected to re-open very soon.

Mr Poon said: "Part of our roof has gone but we've got scaffolding over it and should be open for business shortly.

"They had to pull the tiles off the roof to get to the fire so there's water damage obviously."

Fire crews, who could see flames soaring into the sky from their base over in North Street, had brough the blaze under control within about 30 minutes.

They then spent another eight hours fully extinguishing the flames and dampening down the hot spots to prevent it re-igniting.

Watch manager Smith said: "It could have been a lot worse. We managed to contain it to the one unit.

"At one stage it looked like it could spread.

"Luckily we managed to stop it spreading to the rear of the building, where one room was full of wines which would have fuelled the fire."

The evacuees, three who were members of staff from The Welcome Inn and the other believed to be a worker from Richard O'Sullivan hair salon located the other side of Tarantino, stood out in the street while crews worked to overcome the blaze.

Police closed the road to traffic and pedestrians between the junction with North Street, Abbs Cross Gardens and Abbs Cross Lane until midday Friday.