A fire at Grassington House care home in Dorchester led to the evacuation of residents, but thankfully, everyone is safe and accounted for.
Dorchester: A fire broke out at Grassington House care home late Saturday night. Fire crews rushed to the scene around 10 PM to tackle the flames that were visible from the roof.
It was quite a sight, with flames lighting up the night sky. Thankfully, around 50 firefighters worked hard to get everyone out safely.
All 11 residents were evacuated and taken care of by Dorset Council. A staff member reassured everyone that everyone made it out okay.
While the fire raged, Dorset Police closed off the road, and an ambulance was on standby just in case. By Sunday morning, the area was cordoned off, but that was cleared up by the afternoon.
Residents were understandably shaken, especially since this fire comes just a month after another incident at the Gorge Café in town.
One local said they were at their mom’s when it all started and saw the fire engines zoom by. They even offered hot drinks to the firefighters, but they politely declined.
Another neighbor expressed relief that everyone was safe, saying it was shocking to see so many fire engines. A third person, who was coming home from the pub, couldn’t get back down the road due to the police cordon but was glad to hear everyone was okay.
Even the mayor, Cllr Robin Potter, shared his relief and gratitude for the fire service’s quick response. He sent his best wishes to the residents of the care home.
As for the cause of the fire, that’s still under investigation. The fire service will look into it once it’s safe to do so.
In a statement, the Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Service confirmed they received the call at 10:05 PM and mobilized multiple crews from various locations to handle the situation.
They worked tirelessly to ensure the safety of the residents and to extinguish the fire using various equipment. Thankfully, the situation was managed well, and the community is coming together to support those affected.
