A fire broke out at a cafe on Corporation Street in Birmingham City Centre, leading to the evacuation of a nearby hotel. The fire is believed to have started in a fridge at the Lima coffee shop, which was subsequently closed to allow firefighters to extinguish the flames. Four crews from the West Midlands Fire Service were called to the scene at 6.14am on September 1.
The smoke from the fire also affected the first floor of an NHS facility located nearby. Thankfully, no injuries were reported. The Staybridge Suites Birmingham hotel was evacuated due to the smoke but guests have since been allowed back in.
In a statement, the fire service confirmed that the fire started in a ground-floor cafe in Martineau Place. Fire engines from Highgate, Ladywood, and Aston stations responded to the incident, with a total of 19 firefighters on hand. The fire was contained to a refrigeration unit at the cafe’s shop front. As a precautionary measure, the nearby Staybridge Suite Hotel and NHS medical facility were fully evacuated, although everyone was accounted for.
Only one member of staff from the medical facility required a check-up for very mild smoke inhalation by paramedics. Martineau Place and Corporation Street were temporarily closed during the firefighting operation but have since been reopened. An investigation into the cause of the fire is currently underway.