Fire in Colchester club forces home evacuations

It has been reported that local residents were forced to exit their homes late on Sunday night after a nearby social club went up in flames.

Over 40 firefighters were called to the scene at 2300 GMT on Sunday in order to tackle the fire, which was started at The Officers Club on St Johns Green in Colchester.

Nobody was within the club at the time of the blaze, although families living in the surrounding area were evacuated from their homes as a precaution, with risks over the fire spreading further.

The fire crews spent much of the night bringing the fire under control, and the next day damping down the scene and assessing the damage. However, it is expected that 75 percent of the building suffered collapse due to the fire.

A spokesperson for the fire service confirmed that they are now working with police to investigate the fire, which is being treated as suspicious and a possible arson attack.

Arson is becoming a growing issue with businesses in the UK, so it is important to implement fire safety procedures on your property, be it a social club or office premises. There are fire training courses available to ensure that your employees know what to do in the event of a fire.