Firefighters Responding to Significant Fire in Winchester City Centre
**Incident update 5:22pm**
A major fire broke out in the centre of Winchester shortly after 6am this morning.
Firefighters were called to reports of a blaze in The Square involving four city-centre buildings.
At the height of the incident, ten fire engines, specialist appliances and support teams were deployed to the scene. Police also established cordons around the affected streets to protect the public and allow emergency services to work safely.
Firefighters brought the blaze under control using four main jets, two hose reels and two aerial ladder platforms.
The incident was declared under control, with the stop message issued at 11am. Crews remained at the scene throughout the day carrying out inspections for hotspots and damping down affected areas. A final inspection was completed shortly before 5pm, with no signs of heat or smoke detected.
A joint investigation by the fire service and police will now take place to determine the cause of the fire.
We would like to thank members of the public for their patience and cooperation while emergency services responded to the incident.
We are currently responding to a significant fire involving four properties in The Square, Winchester.
Ten fire engines and specialist resources are in attendance, with firefighters working to bring the incident under control.
Members of the public are asked to avoid the area while emergency services continue to respond to the incident. Please keep surrounding roads clear to ensure emergency vehicles can access the scene safely and without delay.
We would like to thank the public for their patience and cooperation while crews continue to work at the scene. Further updates will be provided as the incident progresses.
