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| Derby fire: Firefighters tackle Assembly Rooms car park blaze | Derby fire: Firefighters tackle Assembly Rooms car park blaze |
| (about 13 hours later) | |
| A large fire at a multi-storey car park closed off parts of Derby city centre. | A large fire at a multi-storey car park closed off parts of Derby city centre. |
| The blaze started on the top floor of the car park of the city's live venue, the Assembly Rooms, shortly after 17:30 GMT. | The blaze started on the top floor of the car park of the city's live venue, the Assembly Rooms, shortly after 17:30 GMT. |
| By 21:40 GMT Derbyshire Fire Service said it was scaling down operations and investigators would be at the site in the morning. | By 21:40 GMT Derbyshire Fire Service said it was scaling down operations and investigators would be at the site in the morning. |
| At its height eyewitnesses reported seeing "large, thick, black plumes of smoke" coming from the car park. | At its height eyewitnesses reported seeing "large, thick, black plumes of smoke" coming from the car park. |
| Many roads around the city centre were closed including Full Street, Derwent Street, Corporation Street and St Alkmund's Way. | Many roads around the city centre were closed including Full Street, Derwent Street, Corporation Street and St Alkmund's Way. |
| Gavin Tomlinson, fire service area commander, said the blaze started in the plant room at the top of the car park in Market Place. | Gavin Tomlinson, fire service area commander, said the blaze started in the plant room at the top of the car park in Market Place. |
| "The fire spread very, very quickly and it was extremely difficult to deal with as it was not safe to go in and physically put it out," he said. | "The fire spread very, very quickly and it was extremely difficult to deal with as it was not safe to go in and physically put it out," he said. |
| "One of our main concerns was preventing it from spreading into the Assembly Rooms itself." | "One of our main concerns was preventing it from spreading into the Assembly Rooms itself." |
| 'Spread really quickly' | 'Spread really quickly' |
| The fire service has said anyone with a vehicle inside the car park would be reimbursed by the council for any extra charges they would face. | The fire service has said anyone with a vehicle inside the car park would be reimbursed by the council for any extra charges they would face. |
| BBC Radio Derby reporter Wesley Mallin, who was at the scene, said that at one stage debris could be seen falling from the car park. | |
| Earlier, Derbyshire Police said they had widened the cordon with the danger of vehicles in the car park "exploding". | Earlier, Derbyshire Police said they had widened the cordon with the danger of vehicles in the car park "exploding". |
| Superintendent Gary Parkin said officers had evacuated nearby buildings and asked people to be patient while they worked to get the city centre "back to normality as soon as possible". | Superintendent Gary Parkin said officers had evacuated nearby buildings and asked people to be patient while they worked to get the city centre "back to normality as soon as possible". |
| Dancer Anton Du Beke's show, which had been scheduled for the Assembly Rooms on Friday night, was cancelled. | Dancer Anton Du Beke's show, which had been scheduled for the Assembly Rooms on Friday night, was cancelled. |
| Pete Meakin, from Derby Live, said performances over the weekend had also been cancelled. | Pete Meakin, from Derby Live, said performances over the weekend had also been cancelled. |
| Earlier he said: "Fortunately we know everyone got out of the Assembly Rooms building and we are now ringing around the audiences to make sure they don't come into the city centre." | Earlier he said: "Fortunately we know everyone got out of the Assembly Rooms building and we are now ringing around the audiences to make sure they don't come into the city centre." |
| Will Hives, 36, who lives nearby, was in a restaurant when he noticed the smoke, and said: "You couldn't see flames at first, just plumes of black smoke. | Will Hives, 36, who lives nearby, was in a restaurant when he noticed the smoke, and said: "You couldn't see flames at first, just plumes of black smoke. |
| "It spread really quickly. Within 10 minutes it was really alight and was sweeping across the whole building." | "It spread really quickly. Within 10 minutes it was really alight and was sweeping across the whole building." |