'Disaster' for Corby takeaway owners as fire rips through shop roofs
The owner of a Corby takeaway has said a fire that ripped through shop roofs on the Exeter estate is a ‘disaster’ for the businesses.
Firefighters were called to the parade of shops in Counts Farm Road that includes four takeaway food outlets and a hairdressers.
The alarm was raised by the wife of one of the workers at the Mias burger and kebab shop as she left home at about 5am when she saw smoke.
Mias owner MD Abdur said: “My chef’s wife was going to work when she saw smoke. She called him and he called 999.
“It’s a disaster. I feel very sorry for them, I know them all personally – it’s a nice community. All the roof is burnt and water came through into the shop.
"They will be closed for some time.”
Takeways involved in the incident were Best Kebab House, Golden Chois and Yogi’s.
As firefighters tackled the blaze, smoke spread into the loft space of an adjacent building in Burghley Drive – residents in flats above the shops were evacuated.
Utilities to more than 100 properties on the Exeter estate were cut off for safety reasons including the Autumn Centre in Counts Farm Road.
Daniel Retter, group manager Northants Fire and Rescue Service, said: “This morning, crews were called to a fire in one of the commercial properties behind us and the fire unfortunately spread to adjacent properties and also smoke logging to the block of flats which is to the side of the affected building.
"Crews worked extremely hard to stop the fire spread. The fire is now believed to be out. We are now undertaking inspections, putting out any hotspots and in the coming hours we will undertake a fire investigation to establish the cause of the fire.
“I can confirm power has been isolated not only to the businesses but also to the surrounding area and we are working very closely with National Grid to come up with a plan to re-energise the streets.”