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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Deeside fire: Guests evacuated from Gateway to Wales Hotel | Deeside fire: Guests evacuated from Gateway to Wales Hotel |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Nearly 50 guests have been evacuated from a hotel in Deeside as emergency services tackle a serious fire that has engulfed the building | |
| Forty-five firefighters are trying to control a fire in the roof of the Gateway to Wales Hotel on Welsh Road near Queensferry in Flintshire. | |
| The alarm was raised at about 04:30 GMT and billowing smoke is causing significant disruption on nearby roads. Sealand Primary School has been closed. | |
| Nobody has been injured. | |
| North Wales Fire and Rescue Service said all 47 guests and a member of staff had been accounted for. | North Wales Fire and Rescue Service said all 47 guests and a member of staff had been accounted for. |
| Area Manager Kevin Roberts, the senior office at the scene, said they all got to safety after the hotel's smoke alarms were activated. | Area Manager Kevin Roberts, the senior office at the scene, said they all got to safety after the hotel's smoke alarms were activated. |
| He said crews had "pretty much surrounded" the fire, which had engulfed the roof. | He said crews had "pretty much surrounded" the fire, which had engulfed the roof. |
| "The roof structure itself is pretty much gone," he added. | "The roof structure itself is pretty much gone," he added. |
| An investigation into the cause of the fire will be carried out later. | An investigation into the cause of the fire will be carried out later. |
| Witness Danny Lawton said he was woken at 05:00 by police banging on the door. | Witness Danny Lawton said he was woken at 05:00 by police banging on the door. |
| He said: "The woman says 'there's a little bit of a fire at the hotel next door you need to get out'. Not sure what that woman thinks a big fire is but I'd call this a bit more than a little fire." | He said: "The woman says 'there's a little bit of a fire at the hotel next door you need to get out'. Not sure what that woman thinks a big fire is but I'd call this a bit more than a little fire." |
| Welsh Road, Station Road and two lanes of the eastbound A494 are closed because of smoke blowing across the roads. | Welsh Road, Station Road and two lanes of the eastbound A494 are closed because of smoke blowing across the roads. |
| Flintshire council said it anticipated heavy congestion in the area and suggested roads would remain closed for at least six hours. | Flintshire council said it anticipated heavy congestion in the area and suggested roads would remain closed for at least six hours. |
| It added that access to Sealand Primary School was closed, meaning it could not open on Monday. | |
| Councillor Christine John, who lives on Welsh Road, said the fire must have been "dreadful" and "so frightening" for the guests. | Councillor Christine John, who lives on Welsh Road, said the fire must have been "dreadful" and "so frightening" for the guests. |
| "There's just an awful lot of blue lights there now and an awful lot of billowing smoke. It looks so scary," she added. | "There's just an awful lot of blue lights there now and an awful lot of billowing smoke. It looks so scary," she added. |
| The Alliance Armed Policing Unit, which works with North Wales Police, said it was supporting emergency teams at the scene. | The Alliance Armed Policing Unit, which works with North Wales Police, said it was supporting emergency teams at the scene. |
| Highways England also tweeted to warn motorists in England about the disruption: "#A494 is currently closed in both directions due to a building fire... closed from A550 and A548 junctions near Queensferry #Deeside... #M56 west traffic be aware..." | Highways England also tweeted to warn motorists in England about the disruption: "#A494 is currently closed in both directions due to a building fire... closed from A550 and A548 junctions near Queensferry #Deeside... #M56 west traffic be aware..." |
| North Wales Police tweeted: "Please use alternative route as long delays are expected." | |
| A Welsh Ambulance Service spokeswoman said it sent four ambulances, two rapid response vehicles, two duty officers and a hazardous area response team. |