The HIWFRS received the call shortly before 7.30 p.m., and firefighters from St Mary’s, Hightown, Redbridge, Eastleigh, Winchester, Hamble, and Fareham responded after the fire took hold and quickly spread.

Crews used hose reels and high pressure jet hoses, as well as two aerial ladder platforms, to attack the fire from above. At the height of the incident, fourteen fire engines and additional specialist vehicles were involved.

The restaurant’s roof collapsed as firefighters battled the blaze, and crews are expected to work all night to keep the fire from rekindling.

The incident has since been scaled back, with five fire engines remaining overnight to monitor for hotspots and dampen down remaining remains.

Police have closed off Portswood High Street, which will remain closed until later today, and fire investigators will be on the scene to investigate the cause of the fire.

Rob Cole, Incident Commander, stated:

“In hot conditions, our teams worked incredibly hard to aggressively fight the fire and prevent it from spreading to the adjoining premises.”

We worked closely with our Hampshire Constabulary colleagues who closed off the surrounding roads throughout the incident.

“I’d like to thank the local businesses that provided refreshments to our crews during the incident on a humid evening.”