Shocked residents took to the streets last night as an iconic city burger restaurant went up in flames.
Around 75 firefighters rushed to Portswood Road as a blaze tore through 7Bone Burger Co Southampton.
Thick black smoke billowed into the sky around 7:30 p.m
Teams from all over Hampshire
According to Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, 14 engines from across the county were initially at the scene.
READ MORE: Summary of how firefighters tackled Southampton restaurant fire
The fire destroyed the site of the popular burger joint and damaged the adjacent former Richmond Inn, which is now unoccupied.
Crews worked late into the night to contain the fire and remain on scene this morning.
Damage to the 7Bone outlet in Portswood Road, Southampton.
Traffic diverted
Police closed Portswood Road at its junctions with Alma Road and near Brookvale Road while emergency services dealt with the situation.
Both motorists and pedestrians were directed away from the area, but the route has since reopened.
Firefighters in Portswood Road on July 8, 2022.
What happened?
Around 75 firefighters were mobilized to tackle the blaze, which involved stations from as far away as Cosham.
According to St Mary’s Fire Station Officer Peter Larcombe, an engine was stationed in the area throughout the night.
WATCH: Videos show 75 firefighters rush to put out restaurant blaze
We are working to make the site secure and safe.
The cause of the fire is still unclear, but an investigation is due to begin today.
7Bone in Portswood Road damaged after fire.
Counting expenses
The roof of 7Bone collapsed, with crews working through the night to prevent the fire from re-igniting.
The site has been cordoned off this morning, with the restaurant badly damaged.
Emergency services report that there are no injuries.
A crew from @Cosham23 left @7bone_dive just as I arrived earlier this morning. Roof collapsed and extensive damage to interior😞 @dailyecho pic.twitter.com/8Ikw4Uzy7S
— Tom_DailyEcho (@TDailyecho) July 9, 2022
Kudos to the firefighters
Incident Commander Rob Cole credited the crews involved in Friday’s operation.
He said: “Our crews worked incredibly hard in hot conditions to aggressively tackle the fire and prevent it from spreading to neighboring premises.
“During the incident we worked closely with our colleagues at Hampshire Constabulary who closed the surrounding roads.”
Firefighters are working to contain the blaze at 7Bone in Portswood Road
In a statement, he thanked local businesses who provided firefighters with refreshments during the “wet evening incident”.
A 7Bone spokesman praised the restaurant’s team for doing “a great job of acting quickly and getting themselves and the customers out safely without anyone getting hurt.”
PHOTOS: Huge fire service response to fire at 7bone restaurant in Southampton
They also paid a “huge thank you” to the fire and rescue services “who were incredible, battling and bringing the fire under control”.
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