At 3:22pm on Thursday, 22 February, we received reports of a fire on Tessa Road in Reading.
Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service crews from Caversham Road, Wokingham Road, Newbury, Wokingham, Mortimer, Bracknell, Maidenhead and Theale fire stations were sent to the scene alongside an aerial ladder platform, four Officers and crews from Oxfordshire County Council Fire and Rescue Service.
Upon arrival, crews discovered a fire in a derelict warehouse. Firefighters equipped with breathing apparatus used two main jets and a hose reel jet to tackle the fire. Crews remain at the scene of the incident at this time.
Further updates will be provided when available.
Update – 6:30pm
Crews are scaling back at the scene but there is likely to be a fire service presence for some time. Thank you for your patience while this incident is dealt with.
Update 7:30pm
Crews have now scaled back and there remains a small fire service presence on the scene to check for hotspots.
At its peak, over 50 firefighters were on the scene. They used two main jets, a hose reel and the Aerial Ladder Platform to extinguish the fire.
Thank you to everyone for their patience while this incident was dealt with.
Update – 9:30am
Crews were at the scene for approximately four hours before returning to conduct a re-inspection of the property later in the evening.
Update 1:45pm
After crews left the scene, they handed the property over to the responsible person. The cause of the fire is believed to be accidental, caused by the cutting and removal of pipework on site.