Firefighters have been damping down a large blaze that started in a disused bar in central Northampton
It started early in the morning at the former Fat Cat bar on Bridge Street
A large cordon remains in place, but emergency services are trying to open up as many roads as possible
The blaze has affected a number of people, including council staff, working in the town centre
Watch: Crews battle 'large-scale' town centre fire
We are wrapping up our live coverage here as fire crews begin to scale down their operation.
The fire service says it will carry out a joint investigation with the police to establish the cause of the blaze once it has made the scene safe.
Any further developments will be added to the story we have published here.
Thank you for following.
This morning's incident is not the first time the building on Bridge Street has been hit by fire.
The former Balloon Bar went up in flames on 22 August last year, leaving the property unsafe and causing a long-term closure of the road.
Earlier this year, the council applied for a court order to require the owners to demolish the building. An agreement was reached at the first hearing in January.
Image source, West Northamptonshire CouncilThe building, pictured here in 2023, has been damaged by fire before
West Northamptonshire Council has issued its own update on the impact of the fire on its services.
It says those with appointments at the One Angel Square premises should instead visit the Guildhall, in St Giles' Square.
It is anticipated Angel Street will be shut for some time, with Bridge Street expected to be closed all day.
Northampton Museum and Art Gallery will remain open, the council says, as will the Vulcan Works Creative Hub.
The latest from the fire service is that the below roads remain shut:
Earlier, access to St Peter’s Way, Gold Street, Abington Street and The Drapery was also restricted.
Mr Tuhill told us that work was under way to reopen roads and scale down the cordon in place.
"Road users are asked to find alternative routes and to avoid this area until further notice," the fire service adds.
Image source, James Grant/BBCAccess has been severely restricted to Bridge Street and the surrounding area
Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service was called to Bridge Street in Northampton town centre at about 05:30 BST.
Upon arrival, they found the former Fat Car bar was on fire and worked to stop the flames spreading. The service has not reported anyone being hurt so far.
At about 08:25, the BBC was told the flames were mostly under control and firefighters were beginning to dampen down the remaining hotspots.
Crews have been working from aerial ladder platforms to pump water on to the building below as part of this process.
Image source, James Grant/BBCFirefighters are using aerial ladder platforms to dampen down the flames
Residents living in Northampton woke up to smoke enveloping the town's skyline this morning.
Scott Martin shared this video he captured with us, which shows just how large the fire was.
Thankfully, the scene is looking slightly less dramatic now thanks to the emergency workers.
Crews battle 'large-scale' fire in Northampton town centre
The fire service says it is liaising with West Northamptonshire Council as it continues to review the road closures in place.
Of course, the local authority's offices are based on Angel Street - one of the routes which is shut.
The service adds that the cordon in place remains under review as efforts are made to unlock the town centre.
"Please avoid the area if possible and we thank you for your patience," it writes on social media.
Image source, James Grant/BBCThe fire service sent seven appliances to Bridge Street earlier
Our reporter at the scene, James Grant, has just spoken with Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service's deputy chief fire officer, Simon Tuhill.
Mr Tuhill says: "The smoke has died down - we are making really good progress.
"We are comfortable now that the fire won't be spreading any further, but for us it's about making sure we damp down those remaining hotspots."
He adds the fire service will carry out a joint investigation with the police once the incident is over.
Image source, James Grant/BBCNorthamptonshire's deputy chief fire officer, Simon Tuhill, says an investigation will take place into how the fire started
Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service is working to scale down a 500m (1,640ft) cordon it imposed this morning.
The roads affected include Bridge Street, Angel Street, Derngate and Victoria Promenade. There is also no access via St Peter’s Way, Gold Street, Abington Street or The Drapery.
Fire crews are using aerial ladder platforms to dampen down the flames from above as they work to contain the blaze.
Good morning. We are bringing live updates as firefighters have been battling a blaze at the disused Fat Cat bar in Northampton town centre.
The county's fire and rescue service was called to Bridge Street at about 05:30 BST and have worked with the police to close a number of roads.
We'll bring you the latest shortly.