A BLAZE at Evesham’s KFC which sent black smoke billowing across The Valley began in the kitchen, investigators have revealed.
Crews from Evesham, Pershore and Worcester were among the first on the scene of the fire at about 3pm on Saturday (July 30).
In addition to the five local crews, firefighters from Redditch and the incident command unit from the Wyre Forest were also sent to the scene.
Worcester’s aerial ladder platform was also deployed to tackle the blaze and no injuries were reported.
A Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service (HWFRS) spokesperson said the fire was inside a kitchen where waste oils and cylinders were present.
“The incident was sectorised with the fire fought by four firefighters wearing breathing apparatus using two hose reel jets and positive pressure ventilation,” the spokesperson said. “Utilities were isolated and the aerial ladder platform used for an aerial survey.”
County crews were backed up with support from Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service firefighters from Alcester and Bidford.
“With the incident scaled back to one appliance, who assisted with turning over and damping down, a thermal imaging camera was then used to check for hotspots, of which none were detected,” the spokesperson added.
“Further inspections were then carried out at 9.30pm and 1.30am with a final full external check completed using the thermal imaging camera and a triple extension ladder.”
It is unclear when the restaurant will reopen.
A KFC spokesperson said: “The safety of our team members and guests is always our top priority fortunately everyone was safely evacuated and nobody was hurt.
“We’ll be working with the authorities to look into what happened and to make sure we can safely reopen.”
