Fire crews from across the South West rushed to reports of a fire in the White Hart pub in Widcombe in Bath yesterday.
Multiple crews from Bath, Bristlington and Kingswood Fire Stations responded to the reports of fire in the public house/hotel at 4.11am.
When they arrived, they found that 13 people – hotel guests and staff – had already safely evacuated the property by the owner of the pub.
Two firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the premises. One hose reel and two jets were used to put out the fire, which was confined to the basement area.
There was some small damage to the rest of the three-storey property, but guests were soon able to safely return to their rooms.
The fire is thought to have started accidentally, possibly as a result of some warm towels spontaneously combusting in the cellar.