FIREFIGHTERS from across Somerset worked for hours to tackle a serious fire at a Burnham-on-Sea pub.

Customers and staff were evacuated from The Rosewood Pub in Love Lane at around 2.30pm today (June 14).

Three fire engines from Burnham-on-Sea and Bridgwater, together with an aerial ladder platform from Taunton, were initially sent to reports of a fire in the kitchen of a public house.

At the time of call fire alarms were activating and fire control confirmed that staff were in the process of evacuating staff and customers.

When the first crew arrived at 2pm smoke was issuing from the building and by 2.26pm they requested that another fire engine was sent to the scene which attended and the police to close the road.

At 2:31pm crews confirmed the fire was spreading to the roof and asked for six more fire engines, which came from Street and Taunton and a Command Support Vehicle came from Wiveliscombe.

At 3.30pm two more fire engines fromNether Stowey and Somerton (who were providing standby cover at Bridgwater fire station) were sent to the scene.

At 4.40pm crews are making steady progress with the incident which has been sectorised into four sectors to allow for the most effective firefighting. 

The fire service said crews used hose reel jets and covering jets, as well as stripping roof tiles to access the fire, assisted by the aerial ladder platform.

At 9.08pm firefighters had extinguished the fire.

A spokesman for the fire service said the cause of the fire was accidental and the pub severe damage by heat, smoke and fire.