A Chippenham Co-op could remain closed for repairs for weeks after a serious fire.
The store in Conway Road was open when the blaze broke out at the tills at around 9.30pm on Monday evening (30 June), sparking an urgent evacuation.
Emergency services responded to the scene, with fire crews from Corsham, Calne, Malmesbury, Bradford on Avon, Devizes and Trowbridge mobilised.
A command unit from Pewsey and an aerial ladder platform appliance from Swindon also attended.
The fire, described as “well-developed” on their arrive, was battled by 12 firefighters wearing breathing apparatus – using three hose reel jets and four main jets.
Police closed Queens Crescent and Conway Road while crews worked until gone midnight. Thankfully, staff and customers were able to evacuated without injury.
It’s claimed a small explosion involving batteries stored in a battery recycling box caused the fire. However, a fire investigator was unable to confirm the cause.
A spokesperson for Co-op confirmed that the store would be closed while repairs are undertaken – but didn’t provide a timeframe.
They said: “There was an incident at our store on Conway Road, Chippenham on Monday evening when a fire broke out.
“The store was safely evacuated, and we would like to thank the emergency services for the speed of their response.
“Once the damage has been assessed, our teams will carry out the necessary repairs and the store will re-open to serve the community as soon as possible.”
