Seven crews called to fire on Winton High Street, Wimborne Rd

Emergency services were called to Wimborne Road on Wednesday afternoon following reports of a fire at the back of a high street shop.

Seven crews from Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue tackled the blaze, which had spread to several sheds and a terraced property shortly after 2pm.

A large area of the High Street remained blocked off whilst shops were evacuated, and a woman was rescued from a first floor flat.

Read more: LIVE: Fire in Winton High Street with firefighters and police on scene

No serious injuries have been reported.

Station manager Allan Frias-Robles was in attendance. He said: “A fire was discovered to the rear of the main shops in Wimborne Road. It had spread to several sheds.

“The fire spread through many of the shops which is why they had to be evacuated. It also caused smoke logging in the flats above the shops which required the rescue of a person via a ladder by the fire service."

Winton High Street

One shopkeeper on Wimborne Road witnessed the rescue. She said: “We saw smoke and suddenly she was at the window. Then we heard sirens and the fire service turned up to help with down with a ladder. She was very distressed.”

An earlier statement from Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “We were called to a terraced property, with commercial use on the ground floor and flats above, in Wimborne Road, Bournemouth at 2.08pm today after fire spread to the property from outbuildings at the rear.

"We have crews in attendance from Redhill Park, Springbourne, Westbourne, Christchurch (x2) and Poole, with an additional crew from Verwood and a support unit from Dorchester en route.

"All persons have been accounted for, and firefighters are using eight breathing apparatus wearers, one main jet and three hose reel jets to tackle the fire."

The road has now been cleared.