Three Weekend Fires Spark Emergency Response Across The Isle Of Wight

Firefighters were called to three separate incidents across the Isle of Wight over the weekend, including a flat fire in Shanklin Old Village, an underground electrical fault in Newport and a blaze at a block of flats in Ventnor.

The most serious incident happened on Sunday afternoon when crews from across the Island attended a fire at a flat above The Paramount Café in Shanklin High Street.

Four fire appliances, including the Bronto Skylift, were sent to the scene after an electrical fault involving melted wiring caused furniture to catch fire inside the property.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used hose reel jets to extinguish the blaze, while paramedics also attended.

No serious injuries were reported, although a cat rescued from the property was taken to a veterinary practice for treatment.

The fire also caused significant water damage to The Paramount Café below.

The High Street was closed while emergency services dealt with the incident before reopening later in the day.

Earlier on Sunday, firefighters were called to Newport following reports of an underground electrical fire in New Street.

The incident caused a localised power outage affecting nearby homes. Engineers from Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks attended and worked to restore supplies.

New Street was temporarily closed while repairs were carried out.

Meanwhile, on Saturday evening, crews from Ventnor, Shanklin and Ryde tackled a rubbish fire inside the stairwell of a block of flats in Albert Street, Ventnor.

Residents were evacuated from the building as firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the property to tackle the blaze.

No injuries were reported and all residents were safely accounted for.

Albert Street was closed for a time while emergency services worked at the scene.