THIS is the chilling moment a town watched an iconic 800-year-old hotel burn to the ground.
Locals have said that the blaze at the grade-II listed building was a “devastating” blow for the small town.
Toby HowenThe iconic Raven Hotel was consumed by flames yesterday[/caption]
Toby HowenThe fire can be seen bursting through the hotel’s roof[/caption]
News Group Newspapers LtdThe hotel is a grade-II listed building[/caption]
Footage recorded on one resident’s mobile phone shows the fire taking hold at the Raven Hotel in Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire.
The inferno took hold of the hotel on August 10, as locals helplessly watched.
Huge plumes of black smoke can be seen billowing out of the hotel from several different points on the building.
Meanwhile, some of the onlookers can be seen to be miming the roof collapsing – already anticipating what is going to happen.
Six fire crews arrived on the scene to stop the historic site from collapsing and the video shows those teams using powerful jets of water to try and control the fire.
However, flames burst through an exposed gap on the left side of the roof – metres away from the iconic Raven Hotel sign.
As the wind blows away some of the black smoke, an entire section of the collapsed roof can be seen with red flames peeking through.
At the time, Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue service urged people to stay away while they put out the blaze.
A spokesperson for the force said: “We are currently in attendance in Droitwich at a fire incident involving a derelict hotel on St Andrews Street.
“There are currently 6x fire appliances plus other specialist vehicles in attendance.
“We advise to stay clear of the area whilst on going and recommend closing all windows and doors if you live near by.”
Sadly, much of the building couldn’t be saved and the local MP says this has been “devastating” news for the town.
Nigel Huddleston, MP for Droitwich and Evesham, said: “An incredibly sad day for Droitwich. It was heartbreaking to see a devastating fire destroy the iconic Raven Hotel in Droitwich this evening.
“So many local residents have fond memories of time spent in this historic building. The emergency services are doing an outstanding job trying to contain the fire and keep people safe.
“It is unclear what – if any parts – of the building can be salvaged. I will provide further updates as soon as information becomes available.”
The news comes as over one thousand firefighters were deployed in California as the American state battled with new wildfires.
Almost 72,000 acres of land have been devastated by the flames in just four days.
The huge blaze has been difficult for firefighters to control, with just 3 per cent of the fire being put out.
Meanwhile, planes have been dropping red fire retardant on the flames engulfing Los Padres National Forest.
Last year, almost a million acres of land in California were destroyed by fires.
Toby HowenSix fire crews were deployed to fight the blaze[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
