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Arts centre ravaged by blaze
1.30pm: Flames ripped through a city warehouse in Orton Goldhay last night completely destroying the valuable theatrical costumes and props stored inside.
1.30pm: Flames ripped through a city warehouse in Orton Goldhay last night completely destroying the valuable theatrical costumes and props stored inside.A burnt-out shell is all that remains of the building ravaged by fire at the flagship Lady Lodge Arts Centre.
The storage facility, in Goldhay Way, is only yards away from the main arts centre which had a lucky escape from the fire's clutches due to the efforts of fire crews.
Firefighters were confronted by the timber warehouse burning from end to end, with flames shooting through the roof when they arrived.
A spokesman for Cambridgeshire Fire Service said: "It was well alight when we arrived. Firefighters were damping down the main building in order to prevent the fire from spreading to the rest of the arts centre."
Four fire crews responded to numerous calls from concerned locals to the fire at 9.30pm.
Crews from Stanground, Dogsthorpe, Yaxley and the Volunteers rushed to the fire and a turntable ladder was sent.
The warehouse is believed to have been used as a storage facility for local theatre groups including the city's Key Theatre.
It is unclear at this time what productions in the area will be hit by the loss of these items.
Nearby residents gathered to witness the blaze.
One resident at the scene said: "I could see all these flames. It was like a fireworks display. I have never seen anything like it."
The fire was fought usingthree jets and water supplemented from a hydrant.
The Stanground crew returned to the scene again in the early hours of the morning to damp down, following a call from the police. They then put out the flames that had flared up again
Its understood that part of the arts centre, next to the building, suffered heat damage, although the scale of the damage is not yet known
Fire investigators are expected to begin the inquiry into the cause of the fire today.
A council spokesman said: "This morning, investigations are ongoing and we have sent a loss adjuster and surveyor to the scene.
"We will also be making the building safe."
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Friday 25 May 2012
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