November 22, 2005
Fire crews tackle big blaze at Berrow Football Club
Fire crews from across Somerset have tackled a huge blaze at Berrow Football Club which destroyed the ground’s £480,000 changing rooms that were only opened a year ago (pictured below).
Two appliances from Burnham-On-Sea and two from Weston-Super-Mare attended the scene, along with a further two special appliances from Bridgwater and one from Street.
The fire was reported shortly after 3am on Tuesday November 22 at Parsonage Road, Berrow.
“A single storey building at the premises was well alight and fire went through the roof of building,” said a spokesman for Somerset Fire Service.
Fire crews used two hose reel jets, and were still in attendance more than five hours later.
“They used two hydraulic platforms to strip roof tiles and damp down,” added the spokesman.
He added that the cause of the fire is still under investigation, although arson has not been ruled out.
It is understood that a stolen motorbike was abandoned beneath a wooden canopy on the building and set alight.
Berrow Football Club’s changing rooms only opened in September 2004 and were paid for by local fund-raising efforts, the Sports Council and lottery money.
A club spokesman said it was likely it would seek help from the county’s Football Association for temporary accommodation ahead of this weekend’s matches.
Berrow Parish Council Chairman Andrea Johnstone told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “We’re devastated. Something like this is a real setback.”
“We’ll be back again, but I’m beyond tears at the moment.”
