Residents in Mansfield say ‘it’s a loss to the community’ after a fire ripped through a supermarket in the town centre. In the early hours of Tuesday morning (June 6) Nottinghamshire Fire and rescue were called to Bolek I Lolek, an English and European food store, on Clumber Street in Mansfield.
The fire service received a high number of calls at around 1am with reports of smoke seen in the area. Road closures were put in place at the time of the fire and people were urged to avoid the area.
Five fire crews tackled the blaze as well as an aerial ladder platform. As of 4.25am, two fire engines were at the scene of the incident damping down the fire and National Grid attended to isolate the power supply.
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Residents in the town centre have now expressed ‘sadness’ following the fire that's left the building with extensive damage. “It’s awful isn’t it? I can’t believe something like this has happened in town," said Samantha Harrison.
The 47-year-old continued: “It’s sad to see a business go through that, I feel so bad for the owners. It’s really sad.” Pictures from the scene show that the fire has left the roof of the building badly damaged while windows have also been destroyed
Mark Collins, who has lived in the area for 30 years, said he hadn't used the supermarket before but that it was a shame to hear what has happened. The 59-year-old said: “Lots of eastern Europeans use it, as a business it's a loss to the community.
“It’s been a supermarket for about a year. It's been welcome as an addition to the town. It's beyond repair. I've not seen anything like this.”
Mandy Dunn, 57, said: “I never went in there, but I’m sure it was quite well used. It’s just horrendous, the damage is really bad.”
A joint investigation has found that the cause of the fire was down to an accidental electrical issue. Nearby roads have since reopened, while a structural engineer attended, with the incident handed over to the police.
Group Manager, Jonathan Holford, said: "In this instance, the business owner of the premises was alerted by their fire detection and warning system, and used the designated means of escape to exit the premises to safety - without either of these measures this incident could have been much worse.
"I'd like to urge all business owners to ensure that they have an appropriate Fire Risk Assessment in place, and that they act on the findings of these assessments to ensure the ongoing safety of the public and their employees. Fire Risk Assessments play a key part in ensuring that business owners comply with their duties under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, and are essential for keeping people safe.”
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