WAREHAM'S Black Bear Hotel is back in business after coming close to being destroyed by fire earlier this year.

Hotel guests were evacuated during the drama, four months ago, after smoke was first spotted billowing from a downstairs cupboard.

An electrical fault sparked the blaze that threatened to tear through the historic building. Fire chiefs said it might well have been lost if it wasn't for the quick action of the first crews on scene.

These firefighters, from Wareham fire station, decided to enter the hotel and suppress the fire from the room above, despite visible flashes of dangerous mains electricity sparking downstairs.

Lynda Maytum, who runs the pub, recalled: "It was 10.30am in the morning when we saw smoke.

"We heard noises coming from the electrics, so we called the fire brigade and the staff did a brilliant job of evacuating the customers safely."

Lynda says the fire itself didn't cause a huge amount of damage, but its effects have been dramatic.

"The ceiling in the bar collapsed after a water pipe burst due to the heat," she explained. "There were other problems too, but the fire service has been terrific, and they were really helpful in making sure we were safe to reopen."

Since January Lynda and her team has been refurbishing the hotel to get it back to its pre-fire condition. The pub finally reopened on May 9.

Lynda said: "We've done a minor revamp alongside the repairs, and we're really pleased that this historic pub is open once again."

Six fire engines, including crews from Wareham, Swanage, Bere Regis, Poole and Hamworthy attended the hotel in South Street on the morning of January 23.

After the drama, Dorset Fire & Rescue Service station manager Richard Coleman told the Echo: "The early actions of those crews from Wareham have saved this building. There is no doubt that if they hadn't taken that decision early on to go in, the fire would have taken hold in that room above.

"There would have been every chance we would have lost this fantastic building."