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From
www.thebigredeguide.com accessed 24 December 2011.
Kent Fire and
Rescue Service saves 16th century wine bar from conflagration
Wine bar owner praises fire-fighters for successfully tackling the
blaze in his historical property.
Richard Davies, who owns Rumours Wine Bar, in The Square Birchington,
discovered the fire on Friday evening (November 6, 2009) and
immediately dialled 999.
He said: "I was extremely pleased with the response of the
fire-fighters - they arrived in what seemed seconds of me calling 999,
and quickly got to work fighting the fire and keeping the gathering
crowd of onlookers safe from harms way."
The fire began in accommodation above the bar, and crews quickly set
about tackling the blaze, forming breaks to prevent the fire from
spreading to the roof. At ground level, fire-fighters in breathing
apparatus entered the building and covered the contents of the bar in
protective sheeting. Furniture and property were then removed, saving it
from fire damage.
At its height four fire engines from Margate, Thanet and Ramsgate, an
aerial ladder platform and supporting vehicles attended the scene, with
fire-fighters tackling the blaze using jets and hose reels.
Firefighters in breathing apparatus entered the building and covered
the contents of the bar in protective sheeting. Mr Davies added:
"Considering the age of the building, I thought the fire-fighters did
brilliantly. The speed of their response was great - I was very pleased
with their actions."
Margate Station Manager Mick Smith said: "Fires in buildings as old
as this are renowned for spreading rapidly and can be very difficult to
save, however the fire crews worked tremendously hard, and thanks to
aggressive fire-fighting action and a well-coordinated salvage
operation, they managed to save over two thirds of the building and most
of its contents."
The cause of the fire is accidental. Rumours wine bar is currently
closed while repair work begins, but Mr Davies hopes that it will
re-open soon.
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