A town centre kebab house destroyed in a fire remains at risk of “collapse”, says Wiltshire Council.
A road closure remains in place on Northgate Street, Devizes, nearly a week after a blaze ripped through the Kebab and Pizza House on Tuesday, November 12.
The fire has left the building unstable and the busy route into the town centre has been closed off while the council works to make the site safe.
Cllr Nick Holder, cabinet member for highways, warned that the road may not reopen fully until the risk of falling debris causing issues for pedestrians and drivers is eliminated.
The council is reportedly looking at reopening the route under temporary traffic lights this week, but Cllr Holder emphasised a decision has not been made at this stage.
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He said: “We worked with partners, including Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, on our response to this incident and we are of course looking to reopen Northgate Street as soon as possible.
“However, due to fire damage sustained to the properties involved and the danger of collapse, it may take some time for the road to open to both traffic and pedestrians once again, and it is unlikely that Northgate Street will reopen in the short term.
“We have erected fencing around the damaged properties to alleviate the danger to the public from falling debris but are awaiting further detailed assessments before we can make an informed decision on when to reopen the road.
“This may be a full reopening, under two-way lights, or not at all until the building is made safe.
“As soon as we have more information, we will share it through our usual communications channels.”
A closure order made on the day of the fire had a maximum length of 21 days.
On Sunday, November 17, Cllr Iain Wallis informed residents a decision was due to be made by the council on reopening the road under temporary traffic lights during the week of Monday, November 18.
He added: “Following the fire it is possible that the building is unsafe.
“The road around it must remain closed until the relevant agencies have decided it is safe to reopen. Pedestrians can get through on the opposite side of the road.
“It is hoped that the closure can be moved to traffic light controlled access at some point this week but this will depend on what is safe.”
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