Ipswich: About 70 firefighters tackle Bramford Road health club blaze
- Published
Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service said crews worked "incredibly hard in very challenging circumstances"
The roof over a swimming pool has collapsed in a large fire at a gym and spa which started in the early hours.
Suffolk Police said a blaze at Riverhills Health Club, Bramford Road, Ipswich, started at about 00:45 BST.
About 70 firefighters worked "in very challenging circumstances" to prevent the fire spreading to the main building, the fire service said.
Crews will remain on the site during the day to damp down and help the fire investigation.
Riverhills Health Club was formerly part of the Clarice House chain
No-one was hurt in the blaze.
Road closures were put in place in the area.
Most of the damage is at the back of the building and in the swimming pool area, the fire service said
Sally Hammond, group manager from Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, said: "The roof of the swimming pool has completely collapsed in and we've had some fire spread to some of the outbuildings at the back as well.
"But the crews did work hard and did manage to save the main part of the building so all the damage is really out the back of the building and in the swimming pool area."
The health club is on the edge of the village of Bramford, just west of where Bramford Road passes under the A14
Dave Courteen, managing director of Mosaic Spa and Health Club, which owns Riverhills, said it was a "really good thing" that the club was shut when the fire started and no-one was on site.
"We can replace buildings, but people are far more important," he said.
"But because no-one was on site, the fire got a hold and the fire brigade have done a fantastic job and saved a large part of the building, but the swimming pool is pretty badly damaged.
"A significant part of the building is relatively unscathed... but I think the biggest problem we're going to have, in terms of getting parts of it back up and ready to reopen, is that where the electrics come into the whole site has been severely damaged."
Crews will remain at the site today to damp down
He added that it was "too early to tell exactly where it started" but they "just need to understand what's happened".
Mr Courteen said more than £500,000 had recently been spent upgrading and refurbishing the club
He said the priority would be "working out what we can get reopened and when".
"This is a challenge, but it's one that we'll overcome and we'll just use this as an opportunity to rebuild a bigger and better Riverhills," he said.
Dave Courteen, of Mosaic Spa and Health Club, which own Riverhills, said fire crews had "done a fantastic job" and a "significant part of the building is relatively unscathed"
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