Firefighters evacuate 20 people and save pet hamster from pub inferno
Six fire engines and around 35 firefighters attended the incident on July 30 and two members of staff were treated at the scene in south-west London.
The London Fire Service said that the fire damage had been limited because the internal doors were kept closed. It urged all licensees to keep internal doors shut in the event of a fire to prevent it spreading.
This simple action helped save the life of the pub’s pet hamster, firefighters said.
‘Gutted by the fire’
Richmond fire station manager Alex Stewart, who was at the scene, said apart from one bedroom, the first floor and roof of the pub were “gutted by fire”.
“Fortunately an internal door was kept shut,” he said.
“This helped to prevent the fire spreading to the room and, happily, a child’s pet hamster was found alive some four hours after the fire started.
“It’s always a good idea to shut doors, as in the event of a fire as this can help to protect property from further damage. As in this case, it can hold fire and smoke back for hours.”
Under investigation
Emergency services were called at 2.35pm and the fire was under control by 4.36pm.
Fire crews from Twickenham, Heston, Kingston, Acton, Chiswick and Richmond stations were at the scene.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by fire officers and the police.
The Morning Advertiser attempted to contact the pub but did not get a response by the time the article was published.
