The fire that severely damaged the Harvester on London Road, Stanway, was accidental, Essex Fire says. Crews were called at 12.50am on 15 October.
The Harvester restaurant on London Road in Stanway has been severely damaged by a fire overnight. Firefighters were called at 12.50am on Thursday 15 October and were still at the scene in the morning.
London Road is closed near the roundabout with Essex Yeomanry Way (A1124). Drivers are being asked to avoid the area.
Updated 19 October: a fire investigation on the afternoon of 15 October found the fire was caused accidentally, the fire service said in a 4pm update. At that point crews were still at the scene monitoring hotspots and this part of London Road was still closed. The service has not said when the road reopened, and we could not confirm it today.
What the fire service said
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service’s incident report (incident 344942) describes a fire at a pub restaurant on London Road, Stanway. Crews found “a rapidly developing fire” when they arrived. They called for more crews straight away, to fight it from the ground and from above.
Incident Commander Jeremy Tuckwell said:
“Firefighters worked hard to tackle the fire in sections and prevent it from spreading to nearby buildings. Unfortunately, the building has suffered severe fire damage.
“Thank you to staff from nearby businesses for their support during the disruption.”
In its first report the service said officers would investigate the cause once it was safe to do so. Its 4pm update said that investigation had been carried out that afternoon and found the fire was caused accidentally. Its report does not mention any injuries.
The fire service’s report does not name the business. The location it gives, on London Road by the Essex Yeomanry Way roundabout and next to the Sainsbury’s on Western Approach, is the Harvester at 186 London Road, CO3 8NZ, as listed on the Food Standards Agency register. The photographs the service released show the building.
Roads and shops
As of 6.30am, the fire service said this stretch was closed:
- London Road in Stanway, near the roundabout with Essex Yeomanry Way (A1124)
- the section running towards Western Approach
Crews were expected to stay at the scene for some time, and the service asked people to avoid the area throughout the morning. The Sainsbury’s on Western Approach is open as normal, the service said.
What it means for you
- Driving: London Road near the A1124 roundabout was still closed at 4pm on 15 October. Check before you travel. Our Colchester roadworks and travel page carries the other closures this week.
- Shopping: Sainsbury’s on Western Approach is trading as normal.
- Bookings: if you had a table booked at the Harvester, contact Harvester directly.
The fire service says the fire was accidental. It has not published a time for the road reopening.
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