Emergency services were called to an incident at a block of flats in Dorchester town centre on 29 August 2025 after a fire broke out on the balcony of the second floor
At its height, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS) mobilised 13 fire appliances to tackle the blaze at the Ammonite building near Brewery Square, with crews from Dorchester, Weymouth, Bridport, and Wareham fire stations in attendance. Additional support, including an aerial ladder platform, was provided by Devon and Somerset FRS.
DWFRS confirmed that the fire, which started on the second-floor balcony, affected four floors in total. As reported by BBC News, the service said that the fire “spread up the outside of the building and ignited some of the timber-cladding, which is covered in copper sheeting”. There were “no concerns about the cladding”, however.
Manager for DWFRS, Stuart Gillion, added that 12 residents had been relocated. As a precaution, surrounding properties were also evacuated, with no reports of any casualties. According to the Dorset Echo, affected residents were temporarily rehoused by Dorset Council and Brewery Square.
Firefighters worked hard to contain the fire, the service said, with six breathing apparatus wearers using main lines and hose reel jets to extinguish the flames.
The blaze was brought under control just after 1.30am on 30 August, with DWFRS confirming that the incident had been handed over to the building manager.
Local residents thanked firefighters for their rapid response, and in a social media post, the owners of Brewery Square said:
“We are deeply saddened by the fire in the Ammonite building at Brewery Square last evening and would like to thank everyone that worked towards a safe evacuation of the building. We can confirm that all residents are accounted for with no injuries.
“We are working with those affected to ensure that they are properly supported, including helping residents who need alternative temporary accommodation. We are liaising with the relevant parties to ensure fire safety concerns are completed before those residents can access the building.”
DWFRS later deemed the cause of the fire to be accidental.
“We continue to work with the local authority structural engineers and British Red Cross, who are helping to support residents and firefighters at the scene,” the service said.