Residents and business owners voiced their shock after emergency services were called to a fire which broke out inside a popular city centre bar.
Firefighters were sent to the Glasshouse, in Trinity Square, just after 1am on Monday, August, 2, with people being urged to avoid the area.
The fire service has confirmed the fire was accidental after an investigation was held into its cause.
A spokesperson for Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue said: "We were called at 1.10am to Trinity Square.
"There was a report of an alarm going off - we got there and someone confirmed that there was a fire. We had eight appliances there at one stage, including five fire engines and a high rise appliance.
"The fire was out at 3.05am. All crews had come away from the scene at 4am."
There was shock and concern from businesses in the local area about the fire breaking out in such a busy part of town.
Ali Balanur, owner of the Moulin Rouge restaurant in Trinity Square, said: "It is very concerning that it happened here because it is quite a busy area."
Mr Balanur's restaurant and takeaway is in close proximity to the Glasshouse.
He added: "Luckily we were closed yesterday - who knows what could have happened.
"It is surprising for an area like this, right in the city centre."
Maria Thirlby, a staff worker at Nando's in Trinity Square, 41, described the incident as shocking, adding: "Nottingham has always been a very vibrant city but we need to make sure that we do everything we can to ensure people's safety.
"Something like that could have been very dangerous."
Deb Trowbridge, manager at The Magic Headshop store on Trinity Walk, 56, added: "It is really bad.
"I hope it was an accident because otherwise it would be more shocking.
"I hope no one got hurt."
Fire crews were praised for their "decisive" work to tackle the blaze.
Damian West, head of corporate support at Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue, said: "Another great weight of attack and decisive command decisions tonight to deal with a small fire that presented a challenging scenario.
"Well done to crews who attended. We’ll be supporting the businesses and citizens involved with our Nottinghamshire Fire Business Safety team and Nottinghamshire Fire Prevention team."
