Investigation launched after fire at derelict site

An investigation is under way after a major fire at a derelict building described as an important part of local industrial history.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service (DSFRS) crews were called to the blaze at the Saxonvale site in Frome, Somerset, at about 15:00 BST on Wednesday. The service said the fire was extinguished and all crews left the scene by 05:30 BST.

DSFRS confirmed the roof had collapsed and the walls were unstable. The western warehouse sustained 80% fire damage and 100% smoke damage but no casualties were reported.

The community-backed group planning to redevelop the site, which has been empty for decades, said it was "a tragic loss of an iconic building".

Mayday Saxonvale, which launched a community share scheme to give residents a chance to part own the site earlier this year, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that it would formally submit a bid for the sale of the site before the deadline on 9 July.

The confirmation came hours before the fire broke out on Wednesday.

More than 450 people invested money into the project.

Somerset Council, which owns the site, said it was continuing to work with the fire service, Avon and Somerset Police and its insurance company to establish the cause of the fire and assess the condition of the building.

A spokesperson for the authority said it would be "inappropriate to speculate on the cause" of the fire and thanked the emergency services for their work in extinguishing it.

In May, the council confirmed the site would be marketed to deliver a mixed-use redevelopment.

Although the site is derelict, the council said it had security measures including motion-sensor cameras and 24-hour monitoring by a specialist security company. It also secured entrances and buildings wherever possible.

Additional security measures have been put in place since the fire, the authority said.

"While investigations and site assessments are ongoing, the council does not currently believe the fire will have a material impact on the sale or future redevelopment of Saxonvale.

"Any necessary safety, demolition and site remediation works will be assessed and managed as part of the next steps following the completion of the emergency services' investigations.

"Saxonvale is an important site for the future of Frome and the council remains committed to securing a high-quality development that benefits the town and wider community," a council spokesperson said.

Frome Town Council Leader Fiona Barrow, who was nearby when the fire broke out, said it was "incredibly shocking and sad".

She said: "It's not something that any of us would have expected to have happened.

"The whole of Saxonvale was once the thriving hub of Frome.

"The western warehouse was one of our last old industrial buildings and last remnants of our industrial past."

Barrow was visiting a friend's studio at the Silk Mill next door when the fire broke out.

The studio was not affected by the blaze.

Anita Collier, one of the directors of the Mayday Saxonvale project, which plans to redevelop the site, said it was "absolutely heartbreaking".

She said: "That site has meant so much to Frome over the years.

"It has been abandoned for the last 20 years, which is so frustrating."

She said the group plan to turn the western warehouse into a central public hub for use by community groups.

"This isn't the end," she said.

"There's a lot that can be done to overcome this but it's such a tragic loss of an iconic building - a huge part of our heritage that is now gone forever."

Follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.