A SEVERE fire broke out at a restaurant in Wall Heath in the early hours of this morning (Thursday, August 25).

Firefighters rushed to tackle a blaze at Hickory's Smokehouse on the A449 Kidderminster Road at about 2.30am.

More than 100 firefighters from across the West Midlands have been on the scene battling the flames which have torn through the building.

A total of 15 crews from West Midlands Fire Service have been helping to downsize the blaze using an aerial platform to stop it from spreading.

A number of crews are still on the scene working to contain the incident to the main smokehouse building.

Station Commander Russ Gauden told the News: "We arrived within five minutes of being called at 2.32am.

"There were members of staff and the caretaker on site but they were all able to make it out safely.

"We also evacuated the hotel next door and there were 22 people in there, but no one suffered injuries.

Stourbridge News:

"The fire is still in operation and we have not yet been able to get inside to investigate what has caused the fire.

"It is a grade two listed building and has a thatched roof which has made the fire tough to break down as it has been designed to not let water in.

"We still have four crews in operation who will be here for the rest of the day and possibly into the evening.

"We have been able to stop the fire spreading into the hotel and leisure complex but we cannot say what the extent of the damage is yet, as the fire is still being contained in the main restaurant building.

"A structual engineer from the council has been out to assess the level of damage to the building, but a further investigation will be carried out once it is safe to go inside."

Stourbridge News:

Kidderminster Road has been closed in both directions between the A4101 Lodge Lane junction and the B4178 Swindon Road junction as a result of smoke from the fire. Diversions are in place, but traffic around Wall Heath is heavy.

Devastated restaurant owners wrote on social media to inform concerned residents that "everyone (is) safe".

Hickory's spokeswoman Paula Brown told the News: "We are absolutely devastated about the fire.

"Everyone has been working so hard over the past year to make the restaurant a success in Wall Heath.

"We have had such great support from the local community and we are all shocked at what has happened.

"We are now working with the fire service and the fire investigators to discover what caused the blaze.

"It is too early to say where we are going to go from here and what our next steps will be, but once we can get inside and assess the extent of the damage we will let everyone know."

Stourbridge News:

The company wrote on Facebook: "Firefighters have done an incredible job fighting the blaze and we are just waiting to speak to the police and fire investigation experts to establish the cause.

"We will of course keep you updated with any news as we have it.

"Thanks so much for all of your support so far."

Wall Heath Conservative Councillor Nicola Richards said: “It’s incredibly sad to see such a successful restaurant suffer so much damage and myself and Cllr Ed Lawrence hope the clean-up is as successful as possible.

“Hickory’s has been a wonderful addition to our community and has proven incredibly popular since its opening last year.

“They have worked with the community since revamping the old Kingfisher site and have worked with Mike Wood MP and local councillors to ensure the restaurant would be of value to the community.

“The joint agency approach of West Midlands Fire Service with West Midlands Police, Severn Trent, Cllr Lawrence and myself has been outstanding so far, and we would like to thank everyone for their hard work to protect our community.”

Stourbridge News:

Councillor Paul Brothwood, leader of the borough’s UKIP group, echoed the words of Cllr Richards, saying: “I was so impressed with West Midlands Fire Service, the police, and Severn Trent all working closely together.

“It was great that they were able to save the hotel and the leisure facilities by working through the night.

“I am concerned about the potential job losses for local people and I really hope they will also be saved.

“Hickory’s is a fantastic restaurant and has been a big asset to the community and I hope it can get back up and running as soon as possible.”