Exclusive: Roofers blamed for blaze at former Angel Hotel in Northampton
fat cat fire, northampton, bridge street, january 2011, chronicle & echo, pictures from Northampton Borough Council
THE FIRE that destroyed the upper floors of the former Angel Hotel was started accidentally by roofers, the official investigation has concluded.
More than 50 firefighters were called to Bridge Street in Northampton town centre on January 2 when a blaze was reported above the Fat Cat Cafe and Balloon bars.
Taking all that night and much of the next day to bring under control, the fire caused extensive damage to the upper floors that has left both premises closed and parts of the building held up by scaffolding.
Yesterday the fire service confirmed it had finished its investigation and that a naked flame from a gas torch used by roofers working above Fat Cats was the probable cause. Mark Ainge, area manager, at Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “The fire investigation was conducted by specialist fire and rescue service personnel and the most likely cause of ignition was as a result of hot work being undertaken while roof repairs were being carried out; the fire is not believed to be suspicious.”
The damage to the three-storey former hotel has led to traffic being restricted in Bridge Street, with cars now unable to travel north because scaffolding has blocked half the road outside the building.
The Fat Cat Group has been unable to say how long the bar will remain closed but have suggested it could take as long as 18 months.
Although the exact cause was not known at the time, Northamptonshire Police were apparently told by the fire service the next day, January 3, that the fire was not caused by arsonists.
Chief Constable Adrian Lee’s latest report to Northamptonshire Police Authority shows Northampton Borough Council chiefs wanted police to remain at the scene to help ensure security around the unsafe building, but the request was refused.
But Mr Lee said: “As the circumstances unfolded, it was decided that upon balance, as this was not a crime scene and was instead an issue of safety, police officers would be removed from the scene.
“Though requests were made for officers to remain, it still did not seem appropriate for this to publicly appear to be a crime scene.”
Council bosses agreed to pay for professional security guards to be at the scene for two nights and later sent a letter of thanks to the force.
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