THE peace was shattered as a devastating blaze ripped through the Festival Hall last Friday. Dozens of people crowded onto Heath Road and looked on in horror as smoke poured out of the front windows of the landmark building. Fire chiefs said the blaze began in the offices of Perkins Slade, an insurance broker which rents the upstairs offices of the building from Petersfield Town Council, which is based there. Around 15 Perkins Slade staff and members of the town council team based in the building evacuated when the alarm was sounded at 2pm. Fire crews raced to the dramatic scene and the blaze was brought under control at 9.30pm. Deputy town clerk Sue McMorran said: "The fire alarm went off just before 2pm. We knew there wasn't a fire drill (planned) so we evacuated the building and rang the fire brigade. Smoke started pouring out of the front right half of the building. "A first brigade of firefighters arrived and saw it was serious, and another turned up soon afterwards, got their breathing apparatus on and went straight in. "We checked everyone was out of the building." There was added drama for performers of the Hi- Lights company, which was in the middle of a four- night run of hit musical Calamity Jane musical. Devastated cast members could only look on in horror as their hard work went up in smoke. And there was more bad news for the production company as the flames ripped through their wardrobe cupboard and hundreds of costumes were wrecked in the blaze. Lyn Peas, of Petersfield's Hi-Lights, said at the scene: "We were supposed to be performing tonight, but the town hall is on fire." She was joined by star of the show Jayne Elsey, producer Roger Wettone, and distraught wardrobe mistress Valerie Hart, who could only watch in horror as many of her creations were hurled form the building by firefighters. "There were years and years worth of clothing, some are genuine costumes from the 1930s and 1940s." As the fire broke out, two builders had only just begun work on the stricken Heath Road building. Joss Brown, of H Monfared, said: "We were asked to get off the roof as there was smoke in the building. That's the first thing we were told, when a chap came out to let us know." By 3pm, 10 fire engines at the scene. Police closed Heath Road either side of the Festival Hall, and as more fire engines attended the scene the crowds were moved clear as thick black smoke billowed from the building. Alarms and whistles went off at 3.30pm as firefighters battling the blaze inside the building were evacuated. One firefighter at the scene told onlookers it was "not a good sign", leading to speculation among bystanders that the fire was getting worse. A second firefighter later confirmed that the crew were evacuated because of a risk of a backdraft. At 3.55pm, despite being moved away from the building, the ever-growing crowd could hear windows smashing as firefighters continued their frantic fight against the flames. Despite a lack of visible flames, smoke poured out of the building at an alarming rate, but town council grounds maintenance officer Peter Jones said that the thick concrete roof was "unlikely" to collapse. Town clerk Neil Hitch said: "The main thing, as far as I was concerned, was that everybody was out safe and sound. It shows the system works." Mr Hitch's early concern was that the fire was contained early on, so that damage to offices at the back of the building was kept to a minimum. Luckily, fire doors held out and the fire didn't spread, meaning the main problem for other affected rooms was water and smoke damage. At 4.40pm, firefighter Dave Lock said: "The fire is cornered, but it is heavy work." More than 100 firefighters attended the blaze at the Festival Hall, which dates back to the 1930s and regularly holds public events and meetings. Crews from Petersfield, Horndean, Cosham, Liphook, Rushmoor, Waterlooville, Alton, Droxford, Hightown, Bordon, Basingstoke, Ringwood, Andover, Hartley, Witney, Gosport, St Mary's, Havant and Copnor were at the scene.
