Dorchester | Posted on December 9th, 2024 | return to news
Fire in Dorchester destroys café
A fire in South Street, Dorchester has caused The Gorge Café to collapse.
A fire broke out at the premises of The Gorge Café on South Street, Dorchester on the morning of Monday 9 December.
Dorchester Fire Station were called to the scene at 3.34am this morning to deal with the serious fire at the mid-terrace commercial premises.
Firefighter crews from Dorchester, Weymouth, Bridport, Portland, Wareham, Beaminster, Blandford, Charmouth and Poole were called in to help, along with an aerial ladder platform from Yeovil, a support appliance from Hamworthy and water carriers from Bridport and Yeovil. Approximately 50 firefighters are attending the scene.
The fire caused the building to partially collapse and generate significant smoke in the local area. The fire also affected the roofs of two neighbouring properties.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported, but local residents were moved to a safe place. Electricity supplies to the nearby area were also affected.
A road closure was put in place on parts of South Street, Trinity Street and the nearby junction to enable the firefighting operation to continue. This has caused traffic to build up around the town and meant that buses were not able pick up and drop off on Trinity Street.
The closures plus the smoke meant some local businesses were closed for the day, as well as the Dorchester Artisan Market at Brewery Square.
Residents expressed their sadness at the news on social media. Sally-Ann Harris said: “Very sad a thriving local business the Gorge Cafe has gone but fortunately no one was hurt. Big shout out of thanks to the emergency services in attendance overnight.”
At this stage, the cause of the fire is unknown, but an investigation will be carried out when it is safe to do so.
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