MORE than 80 firefighters from all over Hampshire rushed to the centre of Petersfield last Thursday to tackle one of the worst fires in the town centre for more than a decade.

The fire, which destroyed half the roof of the Regency Lyndum House, is believed to have started in an electrical cupboard.

The alarm was raised by two workers, Rebecca Bell, secretary at Macivor Grant; and Gillian Allan, a showroom supervisor at Trevor Towner Goldsmith, who arrived at Lyndum House at 8-20 am and smelled smoke

The smoke was coming from an electrical cabinet on the first floor.

Firemen were quickly on the scene to tackle the fire which had spread into the roof space as smoke billowed from the building.

Firefighters from Petersfield, Horndean, Waterlooville, Liphook, Southsea, Copnor, Basingstoke, Cosham, Winchester, Havant, Alresford, Havant, Midhurst and Botley were called to the scene, many using breathing apparatus to combat the thick clogging smoke .

They used specialist equipment including an a computer- controlled aerial ladder platform fitted with thermal imaging and video cameras brought from Basingstoke which has a 30 metre reach and was used to carry firemen more than 90 feet into the billowing smoke above the fire.

David Askew, for Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, told The Herald: ÒThis gave us a very clear view of what was happening.Ó

Firemen were battling against time and a strong wind which threatened to spread the fire to adjacent buildings in the busy town centre.

ÒMr Askew said ÒWe had to get as many firefighters as possible to the scene to get it in hand and we did have the situation under control very quickly. The great danger with buildings of this age constructed of timber, straw, lath and plaster, is that fire can spread very quickly, running along the voids in the roof and the floor.Ó

The fire was finally out just before midday on Thursday but fire crews continued to search the roof space for hot spots with their thermal imaging camera.

Mr Askew confirmed that the blaze had started in an electrical cupboard on the first floor and had spread to the roof space.

He said 65 per cent of the roof had been severely damaged by fire and 30 per cent of the first floor had suffered water and smoke damage, but no one was injured.

Police closed the High Street at both ends as 13 fire engines, 75 firefighters and eight officers went into action.

And staff already at work in Lyndum House were quickly evacuated.

The last major fire in the town centre broke out in the early hours of Sunday morning March 24, l996 at the Donkey Cart restaurant in The Square. The historic 15th century timber framed building, also in the townÕs Conservation Area, was severely damaged in the blaze.