BBC Local Live: Devon & Cornwall on Friday 28 October 2016

Summary

Exeter blaze declared 'major incident' by fire service
The Royal Clarence Hotel - reported to be the first hotel in England - is destroyed by fire
Gold Command declared as fire crews continue to tackle blaze
Appeal to key holders in Cathedral Green to come forward as emergency services fear fire might spread
Fire crews send team to get water from River Exe
South West Water asks city residents to restrict their water use
Fire initially started in a gallery at 05:20 near Exeter Cathedral
'About 110 firefighters' are at the scene and a cordon has been set up
Firefighters from Dorset to help Devon crews
Roads are closed across the city
Updates on Friday 28 October 2016

Live Reporting

Our live coverage across the daypublished at 19:00 British Summer Time 28 October 2016
Jonathan Morris
BBC News Online
That's all from BBC Local Live in Devon & Cornwall for today, we'll be back on Monday at 08:00 to bring you all the day's news, sport, travel and weather updates.
Don't miss BBC Spotlight at 22:30 tonight.
Fire service 'expects to be at fire scene all weekend'published at 18:56 British Summer Time 28 October 2016
Simon Hall, Home Affairs Correspondent
BBC Spotlight
The fire service expects to be on the scene of the major blaze in Exeter all weekend, Devon and Somerset chief fire officer says.
Police officers are being called in from across Devon to staff a cordon around the area for the weekend at least, the force has told us.
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'More shops to open tomorrow'published at 18:52 British Summer Time 28 October 2016
Jonathan Morris
BBC News Online
Chief Fire Officer Lee Howell said emergency services plan to allow more shops to open tomorrow after many were cordoned off in the battle to quell a raging fire at the Royal Clarence Hotel in Exeter.
Image source, Jane Rogers
He said: "We recognise people's concerns and we're hoping to allow access to one side of the shopping precinct and we are doing all we can to accommodate traders."
BBC reporter: 'Exeter changed forever'published at 18:50 British Summer Time 28 October 2016
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More pictures of the fire at the Royal Clarence Hotel taken earlier todaypublished at 18:45 British Summer Time 28 October 2016
Claire Jones
BBC News Online
Image source, @HaiwenJ
Image source, @HaiwenJ
Image source, @HaiwenJ
Image source, @HaiwenJ
Exeter fire in numberspublished at 18:42 British Summer Time 28 October 2016
BBC Spotlight
- 27 pumping appliances at the scene
- Four aerial ladder platforms and other supporting appliances in Cathedral Green
- Crews are using six main jets, seven hose reel jets, ladders, and 16 breathing apparatus sets
Drivers warned of ramp over fire hosepublished at 18:40 British Summer Time 28 October 2016
Devon Highways is asking drivers to be aware of a ramp over a hose which is pumping water from the river to Cathedral Green.
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Royal Clarence Hotel in Exeter 'older than it looks'published at 18:32 British Summer Time 28 October 2016
Claire Jones
BBC News Online
Historian Dr Todd Gray said the fire-hit Royal Clarence Hotel in Exeter is "older than it looks".
He said: "A report by Exeter Archeology shows that its medieval, the top bit was 18th Century.
All those buildings in there have medieval origins and the buildings in between are very fine 17th Century buildings of Exeter at its height.
"So whatever you see from the outside, it’s got a deeper, more interesting past just behind the plasterwork. It’s hugely significant for Exeter.”
Firefighters continue to battle Exeter blazepublished at 18:29 British Summer Time 28 October 2016
Kirk England
BBC Radio Devon
Exeter households offered bottled water as fire shrinks suppliespublished at 18:22 British Summer Time 28 October 2016
Jonathan Morris
BBC News Online
South West Water is offering Exeter city centre households bottled water as a fire at the Royal Clarence Hotel shrinks supplies.
Image source, Jane Rogers
The fire service is already drawing water from the river as water levels fall.
City centre customers are being asked to restrict water use as much as possible. Other parts of Exeter are unaffected.
Exeter eerily quiet for a Friday evening, apart from the firefighters tackling the major blazepublished at 18:17 British Summer Time 28 October 2016
Simon Hall, Home Affairs Correspondent
BBC Spotlight
Celebrity chef Michael Caines 'gutted' to see hotel on firepublished at 18:10 British Summer Time 28 October 2016
Chris Ellis
BBC News Online
Celebrity chef Michael Caines, who launched his first Michael Caines Restaurant at the hotel in 2000 before ending his association earlier this year, wrote on Twitter: "Gutted to see the #royalclarence on fire. Real loss to Exeter. "Heart goes out to the firefighters who are doing their best to contain it."
Image source, Getty Images
Fire crews prepare to work through the nightpublished at 18:06 British Summer Time 28 October 2016
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Exeter City Council has talked about the 'great community spirit' following firepublished at 18:05 British Summer Time 28 October 2016
Claire Jones
BBC News Online
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Exeter fire: Flames rise again in hotel as evening fallspublished at 17:59 British Summer Time 28 October 2016
Simon Hall, Home Affairs Correspondent
BBC Spotlight
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Firefighters from Dorset to help Devon crewspublished at 17:54 British Summer Time 28 October 2016
Simon Hall, Home Affairs Correspondent
BBC Spotlight
Fire crews from Dorset Fire and Rescue Service are coming to assist Devon firefighters in Exeter.
More than 100 firefighters from Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service are tackling the blaze.
Firefighters battle hotel blaze from scaffoldingpublished at 17:50 British Summer Time 28 October 2016
Miles Davis
BBC News Online
Exeter resident Jenny Stowe filmed this footage of firefighters trying to hose down the Royal Clarence Hotel blaze.
Media caption,
Firefighters tackle Exeter blaze
At the scene: Almost 13 hours on and the fire is still burningpublished at 17:45 British Summer Time 28 October 2016
Hamish Marshall
BBC Spotlight
It's almost 13 hours since the fire started.
Working in TV we're normally searching for the flames but this has just been a day when the flames have kept coming.
Everybody thought at 0930 this morning the worst was over.
Then suddenly flames were spotted in the Royal Clarence and it's been a battle to get them under control.
Drone footage: Fire crews tackle hotel blazepublished at 17:39 British Summer Time 28 October 2016
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BBC pictures of the Cathedral Green and the Royal Clarence Hotel in the 1970spublished at 17:35 British Summer Time 28 October 2016
Claire Jones
BBC News Online