Experts probe Calne shop blaze

4:45pm Thursday 17th July 2008

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Fire experts are still investigating yesterday's blaze at a Calne travel agency.

Fire crews were forced to evacuate shops in Phelps Parade and close Curzon Street after reports of a blaze in The Travel Emporium at 11.30am.

Owner of G and S Jewellers, Pam Stevens, the shop next door to the travel agency said: "We were in the shop when suddenly we heard next door's alarm going off and then we began to smell the fire. Next door is always shut on a Wednesday so we knew no one was in there.

"I picked up the phone quickly and dialled 999. The next thing I knew there were firemen everywhere. We were evacuated and saw crews smash their way into the shop through the front door.

"The windows were shaking with the force of the heat. When they eventually got in a mass of black smoke billowed out into the street and all we could see were lots of holiday brochures on fire.

"We were just worried the fire was going to spread up into the roof which we share with the travel agents but luckily it didn't."

A crowd of more than 50 bystanders watched as the three fire crews and police officers secured the building.

It is another blow for owners Andrea and David Shackleford.

The couple, who have owned the shop for six years, were forced to shut in February after flooding caused hundreds of pounds worth of damage.

Fire station manager Andy Green said: "We responded to a fire in the back of the shop which we extinguished within 20 minutes. Crews from Calne, Devizes and Chippenham were on hand because with fires like this they can often spread and that could potentially be very dangerous.

"The fire looked quite serious and has spread into all the electrics. It started in a fuse box."

The fire comes just 24 hours after work began on the multi million pound Phelps Parade regeneration project.

Builders had to stop work for an hour while crews evacuated and secured the building.

Eyewitness Frankie Durham, of Kingfisher Court, who saw the fire engines arrive said: "It was quite dramatic for a Wednesday morning in Calne."