MORE than 50 firefighters were called in to tackle a major fire in Reading town centre.
The second floor of the building housing the Cmart Oriental supermarket in Friar Street went up in smoke just after 2.10pm on Friday, May 26.
Fire crews worked overnight to bring the fire under control.
They were called in from Caversham Road, Wokingham Road, Whitley Wood, Theale, Wokingham, Crowthorne and Bracknell stations, and specialist equipment including an aerial ladder platform was used to douse the flames.
Friar Street and Smelly Alley (Union Street) were closed until Saturday afternoon, initially to ensure the fire could be tackled safely and later to assess the safety of the building.
This has now been partially lifted, with the area from McDonald’s on Friar Street to the entrance to Smelly Alley cordoned off.
During the closure, there were bus diversions in place and delays across the network. Some routes had to use different buses due to the disruption.
At 3.30pm on Saturday, Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue confirmed that its firefighters had left the scene.
In a statement on its website, they said: “Over 50 firefighters at the peak of the fire, worked alongside partners, including Thames Valley Police, South Central Ambulance Service, Oxfordshire County Council Fire and Rescue Service and Reading Borough Council overnight at the scene.
“Crews in breathing apparatus used jets, hose reels and the Aerial Ladder Platform to extinguish the fire.
“Friar Street has now reopened to pedestrians and vehicles.
“Thank you to everyone for their patience and cooperation while emergency services dealt with this incident.”
Although they have left, work is ongoing at the site, with electricians and other trades investigating.
No potential cause has yet been revealed.
