Huge fire tears through Petergate Fisheries in York (From York Press)

Huge fire tears through Petergate Fisheries in York

8:47pm Thursday 10th September 2009 in News By Mark Stead , mark.stead@thepress.co.uk

Updated: ONE of York’s most famous fish and chip shops has been wrecked by a huge blaze which ripped through the city centre building.

The fire broke out in Petergate Fisheries at about 5.30pm yesterday, and approximately 20 firefighters were called to the scene to bring the blaze under control.

Shocked tourists and passers-by watched as the Low Petergate business was transformed into a charred and blackened shell.

The fire is believed to have started in cooking equipment.

Five fire engines were mobilised. Crews who cordoned off a stretch of the street outside the burned-out four-storey building were still dealing with the aftermath and assessing the damage several hours later.

All the staff working in the long-established shop at the time are believed to have escaped unharmed.

But the exact cause of the fire – which sent smoke billowing into the sky above the city centre as dozens of people watched from the corner of Low Petergate and Goodramgate – has yet to be established.

Matthew Lyons, 43, from Acomb, said: “It’s so sad – I’ve eaten here many times before and always had a good meal.

“I could smell the smoke from a few streets away and when I got to the end of Low Petergate, I could see the flames bursting out from the windows – you could feel the heat from the other side of the street.

“It’s a terrible thing to happen for the owners and the people working there, and it’s part of York’s history which has been affected because the shop has been here for years, but I just hope everybody who was in there is all right.”

Sarah Thompson, 39, who was visiting the city from London, said: “I was in the shop just a few days ago and can’t believe what’s happened to it now – it’s awful.

“When you look at what the fire’s left behind, it’s just a relief that everybody seems to have got out without being hurt.”

As well as the ground floor takeaway area, the fire also tore through the first-floor Royal Tea Rooms and offices and staff areas on the upper floors.

Firefighters were still tackling a fire in the basement about two hours after the alarm was raised. They also checked the neighbouring Pandora jewellery store and Reiss clothing outlet for damage.