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More Fire Homes May Be Demolished


Six remaining homes damaged by a fire which spread along a street of houses in Newport are to be inspected to see if they are structurally safe.

 

 

Six houses have already been demolished and engineers will decide if the remaining homes need to be demolished.

 

Some 100 residents were evacuated after a fire began at a joinery workshop in Marlborough Road, Maindee, and spread to a neighbouring row of terraces.

 

Newport Council has said it is working hard to help those affected.

 

On Wednesday, six of the houses affected were demolished for safety reasons but there are now concerns about the remaining six homes which were damaged.

 

Power has been restored but gas will be cut off until Thursday

A spokesman for Newport Council said: "A site meeting will be held later and a decision should be made this afternoon about the houses.

 

"Structural engineers will decide if they need to be demolished on health and safety grounds," he added.

Housing officers and social services staff have been speaking to people and assessing their needs on an individual basis.

 

"Some are staying with friends and family and some need us to re-house them. Where appropriate we will re-house them," said the council spokesman.

 

Gas cut off

 

On Wednesday, briefings were held at Newport Leisure Centre where a team of people from the council and emergency services updated residents.

 

Gwent Police said that the area had been made safe and the electricity supply had been restored, but the gas would remain cut off until Thursday.

 

Newport Mayor Councillor Allan Morris said around a dozen homes had been completely destroyed by the blaze.

 

He said: "Those people obviously will be provided with temporary accommodation in the short term with a view to finding them long term accommodation then.

 

"You're talking complete devastation of an entire block of houses but there is always a silver lining, things could have been much, much worse.

 

All the stuff was insured but it's not the point, because the stuff what was belonging to my mother, I'll never get back again

Resident James Kingsley

"I was a fire officer myself and to see a fire on that scale without one injury or one death is almost a miraculous thing in itself.

 

"Had it have been later in the evening, I think we'd have been looking at a totally different situation here."

 

He added that residents' concerns about how the fire spread so quickly were understandable but would be addressed by the fire investigation currently under way.

 

Jamie Kingsley said he broke down in tears when his home, which had been left to him by his late parents, was among the six to be demolished.

 

He said: "The house I don't really particularly care about, it's the stuff in there... all the stuff was insured but it's not the point, because the stuff what was belonging to my mother, I'll never get back again."

 

First published by bbc Wales|

 

Homes devastated by fire in Newport

A further six houses may have to be demolished

 


Homes Devastated by fire in Newport

Power has been restored but gas will be cut off until Thursday

 


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