Fire wrecks homes in listed building

A listed building dating back nearly 200 years was wrecked as 20ft high flames tore through it destroying two homes.

After fire broke out at Bewdley's former Anchor Inn, which has been converted into three flats, a pensioner was taken to hospital.

Tiles cascaded from the roof amid fears the blaze could spread to neighbouring terraced properties in Welch Gate, which are also listed.

Residents ran to safety and knocked on doors to check everyone had escaped. People living in the flats got out unharmed but one 70-year-old woman was treated for smoke inhalation.

The second and first floor flats were destroyed and the rest of the building was badly damaged.

Welch Gate was closed to traffic all day yesterday as a mound of debris blocked the road. It remained closed today.

Five fire crews totalling about 30 firefighters tackled the blaze for four hours using a hydraulic platform to reach the top of the building.

The fire broke out in a second floor one-bedroom flat in the building's converted loftspace at about 10.15pm on Saturday. Residents of both neighbouring cottages were away for the night.

The owners of the nearby Grannystap Victorian tea room, Mark and Karen Flello, dialled 999 when they saw smoke billowing down the street.

Mrs Flello, 46, said: "I thought that can't be mist, it looks like smoke. Not long later the flames burst through the roof. It was really scary, it happened so quickly.

"Mark was running around knocking on everyone's doors but luckily a lot of people had gone out — but we didn't know if they were asleep or trapped.

"I can't believe it didn't spread to the other roofs, the firefighters did an incredible job."

Steve Link, of Welch Gate, said: "The embers were blowing down the road and I was convinced the row of houses would go up in smoke. That would have been the end of Welch Gate."

The Grade II Listed Building, which was built in 1815, was converted into three privately rented flats about 10 years ago.

Only two of the flats are currently occupied. One of these, on the second floor, was destroyed.

People living in those flats were today staying with friends and relatives.

Fire crews spent a total of eight hours at the scene until crews had finished damping down and checking the building.

Crews from Kidderminster, Stourport, Worcester, Bromsgrove and Redditch attended. Investigations into the cause of the blaze are ongoing.