News / Barton Hill
Residents evacuated after fire breaks out in tower block
Residents were evacuated from their homes on Monday night after a blaze broke out in a Barton Hill tower block.
Fire crews were called to Harwood House on Church Steet at around 6.45pm to tackle the flames in a flat on the fifth floor of the building.
Around 50 residents had to be evacuated and have now returned home. An eyewitness reported one resident having to be carried down stairs from the 12th floor in a wheelchair.
is needed now More than ever
It comes less than a month after the mass evacuation of nearby Barton House due to serious safety issues, which has seen hundreds of residents displaced from their homes.
Just over a year ago, a blaze in Eccleston House on Aiken Street in Barton Hill left six people injured.
Avon Fire & Rescue Service says the fire in Harwood House on Monday evening is thought to have been started accidentally.
In a statement, the fire brigade said crews were called to the scene from across Bristol and located a fire on the fifth floor.
It added: “Crews used four breathing apparatus, two 45mm jets, a turntable ladder to extinguish the fire.
“50 residents were temporarily evacuated for safety, and later returned to their homes. Bristol City Council and the police were also in attendance. The cause is thought to be accidental.”
Main photo: Ellie Pipe
Read next:
- ‘Overwhelming’ community response to Barton House crisis
- ‘Barton House evacuation highlights Barton Hill’s inequalities’
- Community rallies together in wake of tower block fire
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