Black stock market smoke rose over Blackstock Street in Vauxhall after a fire broke out on a roof terrace in the early hours of Monday, August 3. Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service had the blaze out by 4.14am, but workers at nearby businesses were kept outside for part of the morning.
Crews were alerted at 2.57am and arrived five minutes later with four fire engines and one aerial appliance. They found the fire on the roof terrace of a two storey building measuring about 15m x 10m, and all persons were accounted for at the scene.
Blackstock Street in Vauxhall
Firefighters checked neighbouring premises to see whether the fire had spread, then sent two teams of two firefighters wearing breathing masks into an adjacent building. They used a hose to tackle a blaze in a second-floor office space. That work gave crews a fuller picture of where the fire had reached before anyone was allowed back in.
By 7.25am, workers at Blackstock Street were told it was not safe to enter their workplaces. They were allowed in at 7.35am after the immediate checks were complete. One woman said: “I live on the next street over. I could see the flames rising this morning. There were big black clouds. I could smell burning too.”
Vauxhall Road and Blackstock Street
An eyewitness said just before 4am: “There’s quite a big fire happening off Vauxhall Road. The fire service are worried about the fire spreading.” The same witness added: “There’s people on the roof, there’s thermal drones, they’ve used a grinder to cut through metal shutters.”
The fire was out before dawn, but crews were withdrawn from the affected roof space because of concerns about structural damage. That left the building safe enough for access checks, while the roof area itself stayed under restriction until the damage picture was clear.
