Firefighters tackle Newbury office block fire opposite new Aldi store

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According to Mike Wilson, the crew manager of Red Watch at Newbury Fire Station, two pumps were called at 7.30pm, one from Newbury and another from Hungerford, to an empty office block in London Road, after an office cleaner smelt burning in the basement.
Firefighters broke down internal doors to access the basement and also other areas of the three-storey building and used CO2 to extinguish the fire, with four firefighters wearing breathing apparatus.
There was some internal smoke damage and the fire destroyed the electrical system, but the building remained intact.
The Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service was carrying out a full investigation into the fire, which was not being treated as suspicious.
At the scene, the cause was put down to a water leak above the main electrical cupboard for the building and which short circuited the electrics.
The fire service left the scene at 10.30pm.
Southern Electric dug up the road in order to cut/isolate the power supply to the building. Power supplies were also cut to neighbouring properties, including Newbury Fire Station, in nearby Hawthorn Road, after the company turned off the sub station power supply, in order to carry out the necessary work.
Southern Electric spokesman, Duncan MacDonald, said power was cut to the property at 9.57pm, which also affected 40 neighbouring customers.
Power supplies were restored to all customers at 3.30am today (Friday).
Afterwards, Richard Deal, a spokesman for Deal Varney, who manage the building, said during office hours, the property was occupied by three different companies, occupying three separate storeys, but was empty at the time of the fire.