By Natalie Payne, News Reporter and Stella Phipps, News Reporter
The University of Bristol says it is working to identify the cause.
The fire service, police and ambulances all arrived at the Clifton hall of residence, home to 261 undergraduate students, between 1.55am and 3.06am on February 4.
Fire services arrived on the scene at 1.55am to put out the blaze, which started on the ground floor of the building and spread to the loft area, according to a spokesperson for Avon Fire and Rescue.
All persons were evacuated safely, and the service said the cause of the fire was ruled as accidental.
The building in question is located adjacent to Goldney Hall’s grounds, behind Clifton Hill Cottage, and runs externally to the accommodation itself.
It was left with visible damage to the roof and guttering.
A resident of Goldney Hall, Lottie, said to Epigram that around 1.30am to 2.00am there was a strong burning smell apparent even with her windows closed, while smoke could be seen rising from the building.
Another Goldney resident, Maddie, described the building as blackened on the inside.
Ambulances were also called to Goldney at 3.06am, however no one was hospitalised, a spokesperson for the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust said.
A video obtained by Epigram on the night of the fire appears to show firemen at the top of Constitution Hill, using a crane to access the roof. The individual who took the video, University of Bristol student Luca Beach, also reported seeing a hose going into the chimney.
A resident of neighbouring Clifton Hill Cottage told Epigram he saw two large fire engines arrive at around 2:30am, and that nearby traffic was blocked off.
Avon and Somerset Police confirmed to Epigram that officers were called to Goldney Hall at 2.51am on February 4 to assist with traffic redirection.
The resident also said that University of Bristol staff requested access to his garden the next day, to place a tarpaulin over the building’s roof and remove some guttering which had become detached during the fire.
A University of Bristol spokesperson said:
‘A fire broke out in an unoccupied part of Goldney House in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The fire brigade was called, and the fire was put out. No one was injured. The main building which is used as office space and for events was unaffected. We’re working to identify the cause of the fire.’
Featured image: Epigram / Natalie Payne
