Fire in Porthleven shop "may have ended in tragedy" (From Falmouth Packet)

Fire in Porthleven shop "may have ended in tragedy"

9:47am Friday 27th July 2012 in Helston By Emma Ferguson, News Editor

A fire in a Porthleven shop this morning was lucky not to have “ended in tragedy.”

A fire service spokesperson said the fire in Fore Street was believed to have started several hours before being discovered, adding: “Fortunately, the fire had not taken hold otherwise the result may have ended in tragedy.”

Two crews from Helston fire station and a third from Camborne were called out just after 5am, when smoke was seen coming from the door of a shop.

Firefighters wearing breathing equipment entered the building to find that there was a fire in the kitchen area of the ground floor shop. A hosereel was used to damp it down.

The person living in the flat above the shop had already got out safely and the occupants of the adjacent property were evacuated as a precaution. No-one was injured as a result of the fire.

The fire spokesperson added: “A working smoke alarm would have alerted occupants to the fire soon after it started, giving the best possible opportunity to escape safely.”

•  Did you take any photographs of the fire crews in Porthleven this morning? You can send your pictures to emma.ferguson@packetseries.co.uk for possible use online and in the paper.