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Crews tackle large fire at block of flats

Fire crews in Kent have been dealing with a large fire at a block of flats in Canterbury.

Live updates

Fire damaged flats to be demolished

Homes in Canterbury are being demolished after a fire gutted parts of a block of flats in the city.

Around 40 families were forced to leave their homes when the blaze broke out yesterday afternoon.

Some of the residents spent the night in temporary accomodation and several have lost their homes.

Nashreen Issa has more

Fire crews dampen down at flat blaze

Fire rips through the top floor flat in Creine Mill Lane Credit: James King

Firefighters have made good progress with the fire at a block of flats in Canterbury.

The operation has now been scaled down from ten engines to four.

Crews were called at 14.28 yesterday afternoon to a fire in the utility room of a top floor flat in Creine Mill Lane in North Canterbury.

The front of the building has collapsed.

Canterbury Council has opened a rest centre at Age Concern in Castle Row for anyone who has been displaced following today's fire at the Tannery. All residents are accounted for.

“Crews have worked very hard to get this fire under control in very challenging conditions - dealing with a four storey building that was well alight. The building is a timber framed construction and so the fire was able to spread very quickly among the frame voids. This meant it was a difficult fire to fight in the early stages. At its height we had ten engines in attendance. The fire broke through the roof and we used two height vehicles to get water directly at fourth floor level. We also put some new equipment to very good use which stopped the fire spreading through roof voids and between floors. Firefighters used Fog Spikes to punch holes into the roof and through walls in order to insert a fine water spray that created a fire break and stop further spread.”

– Paul Flaherty, Assistant Director at Kent Fire and Rescue Service

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Crews dealing with large fire in block of flats

Crews tackle a fire at a flat in Canterbury Credit: ITV Meridian

Fire crews in Kent are fighting a fire in Creine Mill Lane North Canterbury.

They were called at 14.28 to a fire in the utility room of a top floor flat.

Crews have been using four breathing apparatus, three main jets, two hose reel jets and a 135 ladder. Four fogspikes, which pump a fine spray into the building, are being used to create firebreaks to help prevent the lateral spread of the fire.

Ten pumps are currently at the incident. All residents are accounted for. The area is being evacuated.

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