England's oldest hotel COLLAPSES as huge fire continues to rage in Exeter
A HUGE fire continues to rage at England's Oldest hotel in Exeter as parts of the aged building begin to collapse.
Royal Clarence Hotel collapses as blaze rages
Desperate efforts are ongoing to save The Royal Clarence Hotel - which was founded in 1769 and has stood for 300 years - after it was badly damaged in the dramatic blaze, with the front facade crumbling to the ground.
Firefighters have been battling a blaze that broke out at Laura Ashley and the Castle Fine Art Gallery in Exeter, Devon, at 5am on Friday morning.
Crews initially thought they had it under control but later confirmed that it has spread to other venues on the Cathedral Green - including the historic Royal Clarence.
Hundreds of firefighters then battled throughout the night to save the hotel and extinguish the fire, as it continued to burn through Exeter city centre this morning.
The gas supply was cut off in the area after the fire broke out and water to fight the fire was originally siphoned from the mains until it ran dry.
Firefighters have since been using water from the River Exe hundreds of metres away to help extinguish the blaze.
A spokesman for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service added: “The fire is involving a block of buildings on Cathedral Yard and has been declared as a major incident.
“Fire spread to adjacent Royal Clarence hotel.“
But despite everyone's best efforts, fire crews are now left to just put out the flames - instead of trying to save the historic building.
Already the front facade has fallen away, with more parts expected to cave in as work continues.
Chief fire officer Lee Howell said: "We're grateful no one has been hurt in this incident but the community has lost a historic building which is a landmark of the city.
"We kept significant resources at the scene to ensure we were able to deal with every eventuality and we will continue to do everything we can to protect the heritage of this city."
The fire is involving a block of buildings on Cathedral Yard and has been declared as a major incident
Cordons are expected to remain around the Green for a second day, and police have advised residents to stay away from the area.
Officers are thought to be bringing in a drone to assess the structure of the building over the weekend, as structural engineers expect the facade of the hotel to crumble even further.
The fire service said: "Fire crews are still at the scene working hard to get the fire under control.
"Residents are asked to consider their travel arrangements around the city centre as road closures may still be in place."
The Royal Clarence Hotel was built by William Mackworth Praed in 1769 and, according to Professor Todd Gray of Exeter University, became the first establishment in England to use “hotel” in its name in 1827.
Situated within the boundaries of Roman Exeter, the hardy hotel even held strong through the 1942 Blitz.
The 17th century coaching inn, which is now called the Abode Hotel, is part of the Andrew Brownsword group.
Parts of the facade of the Royal Clarence hotel starting to crumble in major fire in Exeter city centre. @BBCSpotlight @BBCDevon pic.twitter.com/NLh79G3804
— Simon Hall (@SimonHallNews) October 28, 2016
Dr Gray said it was a "heart-breaking" loss for the city, adding: "We have so little left and hopefully the fire will be contained and not spread further."
David Cornforth, historian, and writer of the Exeter memories website, said the fire at this historic hotel was "a disaster for the city", adding: "It is very sad to see this famous and historic hotel in this state."
Andrew Brownsword, the hotel's owner, praised staff for working tirelessly to help guests get to safety.
He said: “The Royal Clarence Hotel has long been a special place for my family and I and it is with great sadness that we witnessed yesterday’s events as they unfolded,” he wrote in a statement on the hotel's website.
“We would like to thank all of our team who have worked tirelessly to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our guests along with the outstanding efforts of the emergency services.
"Our thoughts are with all those affected in Exeter.”
Exeter's first bank was also established on the corner of the hotel in 1769.
A spokesman for the hotel said: “Following, this morning's fire in the building next door all our guests and safe were evacuated and are all safe and accounted for.
“We are continuing to monitor the situation and send our sympathies to our neighbours and all those affected by the fire.”
No one is believed to have been injured so far, but it is unknown how long the fire could continue to burn for and whether it could spread again.
Louisa Peckover, area manager for neighbouring restaurant Côte Brasserie, said noone had been told when their businesses would be able to reopen.
She added: “The fire started on Friday morning and we couldn't even get access into the building as they needed to make it safe, so until further notice, we’re in the dark about what’s happening.
“It’s obviously absolutely heartbreaking for all involved.”