The Randolph Hotel is burning down

It’s really bad

Fire Randolph Hotel

A cloud of black smoke hung over Oxford today as the Randolph Hotel was consumed by a huge fire.

Over 14 fire engines were present and the roof of the hotel has collapsed, reports said.

The blaze started at around 4.30pm, with firefighters quickly on the scene. Talking to the BBC, eyewitness Tom Scott said: “I turned into Beaumont Street from Worcester Street and you just couldn’t miss it.

“It was a very thick ball of smoke. I parked up and told the porter what I could see.

“Then another plume came out and he must have realised what was going on. He shouted to phone the fire brigade as soon as he saw it.

“There were still people sat down drinking tea in the restaurant.”

VERSA reports that there are no casualties from the incident, and a live camera feed shows that the smoke seems to have stopped.

The site also reports that the fire alarms in the hotel didn’t go off, and rooms were evacuated “by knocking on doors”, raising questions as to the hotel’s safety procedures.

https://twitter.com/NaraHodge/status/589112356539650048

It remains to be seen whether the five-star historic hotel will survive the blaze mostly intact.