Huge fire erupts at British 'heritage asset' as emergency services rush to scene

A huge fire has broken out at a British "heritage asset" in Somerset.

Emergency services were called to a building in Frome around 3pm on Wednesday.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service crews were called to a derelict building at the Saxonvale site.

Eight fire engines, two water carriers and two aerial ladder platforms were deployed to tackle the huge fire.

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Video of the scene showed the three-storey building completely covered in the blaze.

Jonny Buckland, an architect near the scene, said the huge fire was "heartbreaking" for the town.

He told the BBC: "It's a heritage asset - it's one of the few warehouses left in the town.

"It has so much, had so much potential to be turned into amazing art spaces and creative and cultural spaces - we really hope that it can still have a life... it's a huge loss."

At 8.30pm, emergency services said "good progress" had been made to extinguish the fire.

Emergency services placed a cordon around the site due to the structural instability of the building.

The response to the incident was then reduced to two fire engines.

Firefighters have used three main hoses to respond to the devastating blaze.

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Fire crews from Clyst St George, Taunton, Bridgwater, Glastonbury, Street, Wellington and Yeovil.

Also attending to the blaze were fire and rescue service members from Castle Cary, Frome, Martock, Shepton Mallet and Wells.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service has asked people who live in the area to keep their doors and windows closed due to smoke.

Somerset Council said it would be "inappropriate to speculate on the cause, extent of the damage or any implications for the site while the response is ongoing".

The council has previously attempted to sell the site, which has sat derelict for decades.

In January, a community group based in Saxonvale secured planning permission to redevelop the Saxonvale site, but it is still owned by the council.

"We would like to thank the emergency services involved for their efforts in responding to the incident," the council added.

No casualties have been reported.

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