Firefighters tackle blaze in Motherwell pub

Crews attend Newarthill fire

Shortly after 4:30 pm this afternoon (Sunday 29th January), Strathclyde Fire & Rescue's (SFR's) Operational Support Centre received the first of a number of calls reporting a fire within a building in Church Street, Newarthill, near Motherwell in North Lanarkshire.

Two fire appliances were immediately dispatched from Motherwell Community Fire Station, with further support provided by an appliance from Bellshill Community Fire Station.

The first attending crews were faced with a well developed fire within a single storey, unoccupied pub building. The Incident Commander quickly deployed crews in to the building wearing Breathing Apparatus and carrying firefighting jets, and they battled through acrid smoke and great heat to tackle the fire.

Later in the incident, Motherwell Fire Station's Aerial Rescue Pump (ARP) was used to great effect in providing a firefighting jet from above the building to deal with pockets of fire that had spread into the roof. The ARP was also invaluable in allowing the Incident Commander to assess the extent of fire spread and the effectiveness of firefighting operations.

Throughout the incident, firefighting crews were assisted by their colleagues in Strathclyde Police who dealt with traffic control and crowds in the vicinity, and North Lanarkshire Building Standards Section who also worked closely with SFR crews to ensure that the building would be left in a safe and secure state.

SFR crews are still on scene at this time. The cause of the fire is as yet unknown, and is subject to an investigation by Strathclyde Police.