Waitrose in Hove closed after a sussex supermarket fire started shortly before 4am on Tuesday 16 June, forcing road closures around Nevill Road while crews worked at the scene. East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said the fire was in a warehouse chiller at the shop while it was closed.
The fire service said 10 fire engines were at the height of the blaze, with support from West Sussex. Nevill Road, Woodland Drive and The Droveway were shut while firefighters used breathing apparatus and three main jets.
Waitrose Hove Chiller
Waitrose said the fire did not appear to have caused as much damage as might have seemed from the smoke. The company said the shop would reopen as soon as it was safe to do so, and said its nearby Brighton and Southwick shops remained open as usual.
The source says the blaze is believed to have started accidentally when a refrigerator overheated. That meant the incident stayed focused on the store's warehouse chiller rather than spreading through the shop floor, even as smoke prompted a large emergency response.
East Sussex Fire Update
East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said at 3.46am that it had been called to reports of a fire in Nevill Road, Hove. At 6am, crews were still on scene fighting the fire, with police and the ambulance service also present.
By 8am, firefighters were damping down hot spots, cutting away and ventilating the property. At 9am, the service said four fire engines were still at the scene and crews were using positive pressure ventilation fans for smoke clearance.
Nevill Road Reopens
At 9.58am, Nevill Road was being reopened, and by 10.17am two fire engines remained on scene. East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service told people to avoid the area while roads remained closed, and the gradual withdrawal of crews showed the incident had moved from active firefighting to cleanup.
