A huge fire at a disused building in Newcastle city centre that closed the city's Central Motorway has now been extinguished by firefighters.
At 6.44pm on Wednesday, June 28, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) were called to a blaze at a large, disused building in Carliol Square. Around 50 firefighters worked throughout the night to put out the flames using eight engines and two Aerial Ladder Platform (ALP) vehicles.
Newcastle's Central Motorway was closed in both directions after the Tyne Bridge while crews worked alongside Northumbria Police to tackle the fire.
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Two fire engines remain at the scene this morning to ensure any embers don’t reignite and the northbound carriageway of the Central Motorway is still closed with a diversion in place.
The cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed and an investigation has been launched to establish the circumstances around the fire.
Deputy Chief Fire Officer Peter Heath, who will become Chief Fire Officer later this year, said: “This was a large fire right in the city centre that has caused significant disruption to the road network, businesses and residents in the immediate vicinity.
“Thanks to the hard work of our firefighters and fire control staff, and with the support of partners across the region, we have arrived on the scene quickly and have been able to get the fire under control and put an operation in place.
“This is a disused building and we have not received any reports of anyone being unaccounted for. However, now the fire is extinguished we will be moving into an investigative phase with Northumbria Police.
“Enquiries will begin to establish the circumstances around the fire and, although we have been able to enter sections of the building, that investigation will also be able to confirm that nobody has been inside.
“We know this fire has had a significant impact on the local road network which impacted commuters last night and during this morning’s rush hour. We want to thank you for your patience and your support.
“Northumbria Police manage the road network but do not take the decision to close roads lightly and we want to thank them, our other multi-agency partners and also the Salvation Army who attended and supported our operation.”
Superintendent Aelf Sampson, of Northumbria Police, said: “This was clearly a significant incident and I would like to thank our officers and staff, our colleagues at Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service and all other multi-agency partners involved in helping to get the fire under control.
“Given the scale of the blaze in the city centre, and the effect that the smoke had on road visibility, we took the decision to close the Central Motorway in both directions to ensure everyone’s safety.
“The southbound carriageway has since been reopened, but the northbound carriageway remains closed with a diversion in place. I would like to thank everyone for their ongoing patience and cooperation.
“We will now be working with the fire service to establish the cause of the fire.”
Anyone with information about the fire is encouraged to contact Northumbria Police on the ‘Tell us Something’ pages of their website, quoting reference number NP-20230628-1077.
