Firemen’s six-hour Saturday night call in bitter wind

In a strong, bitter wind that at one time sent flurries of sparks repeatedly across the top of narrow Queen Street towards other property, Bideford firemen, with two fire appliances, fought an outbreak on the top floor of a three-storey building, part of Messrs Heard Bros’ garage premises, on Bideford Quay.

Damage at Messrs Heard’s and at the Southern National Omnibus offices is estimated to run substantially into four figures.

Cause of the outbreak is unknown. Principal damage was to the roofing. A records and stationery store and part of the staff canteen and washroom were damaged at Heard’s, and other paintwork blistered, and at the Bus Co.’s premises, which particularly felt the effect of the water used to fight the fire, ceilings on all three floors were damaged. A hold was broken in a party wall by firemen to enable them to get to the seat of the fire. A mass of charred records of past years from Messrs Heard’s fell through the ceiling into a Southern National second floor landing.

No one was injured.

The alarm had been given by Mr Walter Braund, a driver for the Southern National, and a taxi driver, Mr Eric Elston, after seeing smoke and sparks coming from the roof. They also warned the occupants of two first-floor flats, Mr and Mrs Sid Northcott and Mr and Mrs Bob Jones.

February 1965