An investigation has been launched after a fire tore through a disused building situated on one of the very busiest roads in Newcastle. 

Though the fire on Carliol Street, Newcastle, has now been fully extinguished, parts of the Central Motorway in the city still remain closed. 

At 6.44 pm on Wednesday Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) received a report of a fire at a large, disused building in Carliol Square in the city centre, thought to be the former strip club.

 Firefighters were quickly dispatched, and the first fire engine was on scene of the incident in five minutes. In total eight fire engines and two Aerial Ladder Platform (ALP) vehicles were deployed, with around 50 firefighters working to extinguish the flames.

Read more: A167, in Newcastle, closed following Carliol Square fire

Northumbria Police also attended the area to support the operation and the Central Motorway was closed in both directions after the Tyne Bridge to assist the operation.

Though the southbound carriageway has since been reopened, but the northbound carriageway remains closed with a diversion in place

Firefighters worked to tackle the fire overnight and it has now been extinguished, with crews remaining on the scene this morning to ensure any embers don’t reignite.

Deputy Chief Fire Officer Peter Heath, who will become Chief Fire Officer later this year, has praised the response of staff, partners and the public as an investigation is launched.

He said: “This was a large fire right in the city centre that has caused significant disruption to the road network, businesses and residents in the immediate vicinity.

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“Thanks to the hard work of our firefighters and Fire Control staff, and with the support of partners across the region, we have arrived on the scene quickly and have been able to get the fire under control and put an operation in place.

“This is a disused building and we have not received any reports of anyone being unaccounted for. However, now the fire is extinguished we will be moving into an investigative phase with Northumbria Police.

“Enquiries will begin to establish the circumstances around the fire and, although we have been able to enter sections of the building, that investigation will also be able to confirm that nobody has been inside.

“We know this fire has had a significant impact on the local road network which impacted commuters last night and during this morning’s rush hour. We want to thank you for your patience and your support.

Superintendent Aelf Sampson, of Northumbria Police, said: “This was clearly a significant incident and I would like to thank our officers and staff, our colleagues at Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service and all other multi-agency partners involved in helping to get the fire under control.

“Given the scale of the blaze in the city centre, and the effect that the smoke had on road visibility, we took the decision to close the Central Motorway in both directions to ensure everyone’s safety.

“The southbound carriageway has since been reopened, but the northbound carriageway remains closed with a diversion in place. I would like to thank everyone for their ongoing patience and cooperation.

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“We will now be working with the fire service to establish the cause of the fire.”

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) currently have one appliance on scene and a cordon remains in place while the investigative phase of the operation begins.

Anyone with information about the fire is encouraged to contact Northumbria Police on the ‘Tell us Something’ pages of their website, quoting reference number NP-20230628-1077.