Bradpole Road post office in Bournemouth destroyed in blaze

The Bradpole Road post office in Bournemouth will be out of action for weeks following the blaze in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Five fire crews were called to the business, at the junction of Bradpole Road and Castle Lane West, at 4.22am.

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Two crews from Christchurch, along with colleagues from Westbourne, Redhill Park and Springbourne, attended the scene, opposite the Castlepoint shopping centre.

The business owner, who does not wish to be named, said he received a call from friends who were occupying the flat above the post office at the time.

A fire gutted the Bradpole Road post office and convenience store in Bournemouth in the early hours of Saturday April 17 2021. Pictures: Greg Luckhurst

He said: "A neighbour woke up to a crackling sound and looked out of the window to see what it was.

"I have recently moved to a new property but my friends were staying above the shop. The neighbour woke them up and it was so lucky that no one was hurt

He said: "The fire spread through the property downstairs and totally destroyed everything. The post office and shop is completely gutted.

A fire gutted the Bradpole Road post office and convenience store in Bournemouth in the early hours of Saturday April 17 2021. Pictures: Greg Luckhurst

"It looks OK from the front but the damage can be seen at the back and is much worse than it looks from the road."

He said police, fire and ambulance crews all attended the scene.

And he added: "I am waiting for insurance people to come and have a look at it but it's going to need a complete refit. We are going to be closed for weeks."

A fire gutted the Bradpole Road post office and convenience store in Bournemouth in the early hours of Saturday April 17 2021. Pictures: Greg Luckhurst

Equipment throughout the building is destroyed and the entire property has been affected by smoke damage.

He added: "My friends have had to move out because the damage is so bad."

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A spokesman for Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "We were called to Castle Lane West, Bournemouth at 4.22am on Saturday. Crews from Christchurch, Westbourne, Redhill Park and Springbourne attended the incident.

"The fire involved a storage area on the ground floor of a two storey building used as commercial properties with flats above. Six breathing apparatus wearers used three hose reel jets to tackle the fire."

A fire gutted the Bradpole Road post office and convenience store in Bournemouth in the early hours of Saturday April 17 2021. Pictures: Greg Luckhurst

The spokesman said the fire was under control in just over an hour but crews remained at the scene to cut away a flat roof.

Firefighters from Springbourne returned to the scene at intervals throughout Saturday to re-inspect the property "due to the scale of the fire."