Arson Suspected After Fire At Gunnersbury Park Cafe | |||
Fire-fighters rescue horse-drawn carriages from historic display
May 29, 2020 A fire has hit the café at Gunnersbury Park in the early hours of Friday morning (29 May). Eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters were called to the scene at around 12.54am. Part of the ground floor and the roof of the café were alight. There are no reports of any injuries. Firefighters used cutting gear to gain access to the fire in the roof of the building It is understood that the café is now a crime scene as arson is suspected. Station Commander Peter Wolfenden who was at the scene said: "Road closures were put in place whilst crews worked hard to bring the fire under control and stop it spreading further.
"The fire was located within the roof of the building and crews used cutting gear to gain access and extinguish the fire. "The café has a historic display area, containing display items like horse-drawn carriages, and firefighters safely removed these from the building. "Crews are expected to remain on scene for several hours damping down." Pictures posted by the Fire Brigade indicate that some of the carriages may have been damaged by the fire. They will now be assessed for damage by the curatorial team at Gunnersbury Park Museum.
Fire crews from Acton, Chiswick, Ealing, Richmond and surrounding fire stations were at the scene. They brought the blaze under control at 4.26am. Cllr Julian Bell, leader of Ealing Council said, “The fire engulfed the café overnight and it has been completely destroyed – this is very sad news and will be a significant blow to everyone who uses the park and for colleagues at both councils and the Gunnersbury CIC who have worked so hard to regenerate the park and the house.
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