21
Jun
Firefighters tackle blaze in Harrogate's Herald Buildings
A small fire broke out in a historic building on Montpellier Hill in Harrogate this afternoon.
Police and firefighters were called to the Herald Buildings shortly before 4pm.
Traffic was unable to turn left off West Park on to Montpellier Hill for a while but the fire was quickly brought under control and the road reopened shortly before 4.30pm.
Crews from Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon attended, and Harrogate's aerial ladder platform was also summoned.
Built in the 1850s, the Herald Buildings were the headquarters of the Harrogate Advertiser newspaper for much of the last century until it moved out in 1990.
It was most recently home to the Slug & Lettuce pub, and is now being converted into four retail units and flats.
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service's incident log said fire broke out on the scaffolding and crews extinguished the blaze quickly using breathing apparatus.
Police closed the road.
The fire officer at the scene told the Stray Ferret:
It was a small fire in the two-storey building on some woodwork behind scaffolding. We were called and we ensured that the correct resources were on the scene.
The building has been inspected and dampened down. There is no risk now.
Fire services at the scene
North Yorkshire Police released a statement on social media, at around 4.30pm, which said:
We're currently assisting the fire service who are at the scene of a fire on Back Montpellier Parade in Harrogate.
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