Crews from Norwich Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) responded to an incident at a derelict commercial factory on 20 January 2025, after a “large fire” broke out in Norwich
At the height of the blaze, 17 fire crews were called to the disused shoe factory, with NFRS requesting residents to keep doors and windows closed “due to a large smoke plume”.
Crews used a control unit, water carrier, and aerial ladder platforms to tackle the blaze, with Norwich Police also in attendance to support firefighting efforts. As reported by Norwich Evening News, drone footage captured the full extent of the blaze, with flames “visible from miles away”. Half the roof is believed to have been destroyed in the fire.
A spokesperson for NFRS later said: "We were called to attend a significant fire in a derelict building at 5:40 pm on Monday.
"[Crews] worked tirelessly through the evening and into the night to get the fire under control and extinguished. We thank them for their dedication and swift actions to contain the fire to the site.
"Firefighters have now finished in the emergency phase on scene, and we thank the local community for their patience and understanding."
The service confirmed that the fire was extinguished in the early hours of Tuesday 21 January, with station manager Ryon Martin adding that “70 to 75% of the property” had been damaged.
Two crews remained at the scene the following day, with Martin explaining: "At the minute, we are just monitoring the structure's safety and dampening down any potential hotspots where we can."
Later in the afternoon, Simon Mason, Group Manager with NFRS, added: "There’s an ongoing team looking at potentially demolishing the unsafe bits of the building over the course of today.
"This should then allow us to open the road back up again and let the occupants back in their houses on the road."
Norwich City Council also issued a warning to nearby residents to avoid handling any ash or debris and to keep doors and windows closed as asbestos testing and structural assessments were carried out.
“The site involved in the fire contained asbestos,” the council confirmed. “While it is possible that asbestos-containing materials were released in the smoke and deposited as ash or debris in the surrounding area, the risk to health remains low. Asbestos fibres are generally trapped within the material they were originally part of and are not easily released into the air.”
On Wednesday 22 January, a spokesperson for the council said: "Last night, partial demolition work was completed at the site. Throughout the process, asbestos testing was conducted, and all results came back with no issues.
“Today, crews are focused on clearing the remaining debris so that the road can be reopened as soon as possible.
“As a precaution, additional air and ground testing is taking place today. We’re prioritising getting these results back as quickly as possible and will provide updates as soon as we can.”
The cause of the fire is currently being investigated, with a spokesperson for Norwich Police stating that officers would “work closely with fire investigators to understand how the fire started.”
As reported by BBC News, a similar incident at the factory occurred in April 2024. At the time, crews from Sprowston, Carrow, Earlham, Wroxham, Aylsham, Attleborough, and Wymondham fire stations were mobilised to tackle the fire.