Fire at Trowse Victorian grade II listed pumping station

Multiple crews have been involved in tackling a fire at a Grade II listed former pumping station.

Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service was alerted to the blaze at the Victorian-built sewage plant in Trowse, Norwich, just after 21:00 GMT on Sunday.

The service said "swift action" prevented it from spreading.

Marion Catlin, of the Trowse Millgate Neighbourhood Group, said members had been concerned about the derelict building for some time.

"Last year I wrote to the council and the police and asked for the building to be properly cleared out and secured and patrolled because of the risk of death," she said.

Ms Catlin said that after a recent "less significant fire" in the building, a fire officer told her "it was full of flammables and if it had gone any further into the next bit of the building, it would have been a major incident".

The fire service's area manager Stefan Rider said: "We took swift action with our aerial ladder platforms to address flames spreading up from the fourth floor, which stopped the wider spread of the blaze through the building.

"The cause of the fire is unknown and the site is currently considered unsafe for fire investigation.

"Our protection team has previously worked with the owner to protect the building from fire.

"Buildings of this nature, particularly after experiencing a fire, contain many hidden hazards and we urge people not to enter them as it presents a significant risk to them and to our emergency responders."

The pumping station, on Bracondale, acquired listed status in December 2021 from Historic England.

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