Wisbech shelter closed after firefighters battle blaze at Ferry Project

A WISBECH homeless shelter is temporarily closed after a fire broke out in the early hours of this morning.

The blaze started on the ground floor of the Ferry Project’s premises on Norfolk Street after a fault with an electrical cable.

Two fire crews were called to the scene at 1.20am and firefighters cut away surrounding wood before extinguishing the blaze. Staff and residents evacuated the building and nobody was injured.

There was limited damage to the building and alternative shelter was found for the residents. The shelter will remain closed in the short term.

Chan Abraham, chairman of Ferry Project, said: “I pay tribute to Ferry Project staff as well as the fire service, who responded to this situation with calmness and great speed.

“At this stage we have had limited information about the cause of the fire being a faulty external main electrical cable and are waiting for detailed update from the company whose cable provides the electricity service to the building. Meanwhile I am pleased to confirm that all the residents and staff are in good spirits.”

Sean Brown, District Manager for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “As this fire occurred late at night, the residents were alerted to it by a smoke alarm. Having a working smoke alarm will alert you to a fire early, giving you longer to escape.

“Make sure you have a working smoke alarm fitted on every floor of your house, and test it is working once a week.”

For more information about smoke alarms, contact your local fire station or see our fire safety pages.