Firefighters were called to a house in Ripon today when a pizza box caught fire.

A crew from Ripon was called to an unnamed street in the city just after 9am this morning.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident log said:

“This was a small fire involving a box left on top of a hob which was accidentally turned on.

“Pizza box was removed to the open by the occupant prior to our arrival.

“Crew used a positive pressure ventilation fan to clear smoke from the property.”

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North Yorkshire Police has confirmed that a refurbishment of Ripon’s shared police and fire station is underway.

The £1.2m project has been in the pipeline for several years after the force sold Ripon’s police station in 2014.

Officers have used facilities at the fire station since 2018 but the site on Stonebridgegate has been deemed not fit-for-purpose by North Yorkshire Police.

In summer 2021, former Conservative Police, Crime and Fire Commissioner Philip Allott unveiled plans for a major refurbishment of the building.

A report was prepared for councillors yesterday that said the works had now been approved and represented “the best value for money” for Ripon residents.

The works will include repurposing the ground floor for the police to interact with the public, changing the first floor to create better meeting spaces for the fire service and improving the windows and lighting of the building.

Additional facilities costing £90,000 will also be created in Ripon’s Town Hall on Market Place to improve the police’s presence in the city centre.

Councillors in Harrogate met last night and heard from North Yorkshire Police Chief Inspector Richard Ogden about the project. Construction work is estimated to take around 15 weeks.

Ch Insp Ogden said:

“It’s something that has been long-overdue. I’m really pleased we have a way forward. We’re not only going to have investment for the fire service but we’re going to have a footprint for our neighbourhood team in the city centre. It’s really exciting for Ripon.”

The police said there will be slight disruption during construction but work will be phased to reduce its impact.

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Zoe Metcalfe

In a press statement released after the meeting, Conservative Police, Crime and Fire Commissioner Zoe Metcalfe said:

“The facilities in Ripon are out of date and not suitable for our modern and inclusive work force.

“This redevelopment is long overdue. As commissioner, I have listened to the community and staff, and want to create a safe environment for the fire and police services to work from and is fit for the future.

“I am also delighted that part of this investment enables us to put our local policing team right into the heart of the city in the Town Hall, being accessible and visible, helping people to be safe and feel safe and contributing towards economic growth.”

Anti-social behaviour in Ripon

Last week, police in Ripon urged residents to report instances of anti-social behaviour following reports in the Aismunderby Road and Ambrose Road areas and the area around the Jack Laugher Leisure Centre and nearby skate park.

Ch Insp Ogden told councillors last night that spikes in anti-social behaviour “comes and goes” in Ripon but that officers have worked to target offenders in the city. He said:

“There was considerable anti-social behaviour problems in Ripon 18 months ago. The neighbourhood team did a lot of proactive work and we dealt with a number of individuals and things seem to be in a good position.”

A resident was taken to hospital last night after a house fire between Masham and Ripon.

Fire spread from the fireplace at the home in Mowbray Terace, West Tanfield, prompting firefighters from Ripon and Bedale to rush to the scene at 6.09pm.

It was the fourth incident attended by Ripon fiefighters yesterday. They also dealt with a garage fire, chimney fire and water leak.

North Yorkshire Fore and Rescue Service’s incident log said:

“The fire had spread from the fireplace and was extinguished using one hose reel jet, small tools and a positive pressure fan to ventilate.

“The occupant of the property was also taken to hospital with smoke inhalation.”

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Firefighters from Ripon, Harrogate and Masham extinguished a fire in a garage on Dallamires Lane in Ripon today.

The garage, which contained one vehicle, is attached to a house. The extent of the damage is unknown.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue’s incident log said the alert came at 2.22pm. It added:

“Crews extinguished the fire using two breathing apparatus, one hose reel jet and a thermal imaging camera. The cause of the fire is yet to be established by fire investigation officers.”

It was the Ripon crew’s third call-out of the day. At 11.53am, city firefighters were summoned to a chimney fire on High Street in Markington. The incident log said:

“The fire was confined to the chimney and extinguished by the home owner prior to the fire service’s arrival. Crews carried out a thorough check for hot spots and gave advice to the home owner.”

At 7.59am,  a crew from Ripon responded to a report of water leaking at a home on Harrogate Road. The incident log said:

“Crews isolated the water leak in the loft and turned off the water to the property. Advice was given to a responsible person.”

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