Fire Closes Portswood Road

ANOTHER fire has hit Portswood this year.


A fire has broken out this morning at the top of Portswood Road with a large plume of smoke that could be seen from Highfield.

The fire started behind Machine Mart at around 11:15 this morning and was quickly tackled by fire fighters and several engines were at the scene, including a Special Equipment Unit.

Hampshire Fire and Rescue told the Soton Tab that a fire in a garage at the rear of Machine Mart on Portswood Road was “well alight” and that a gas cylinder was present in the building and the surrounding area was evacuated.

The Environment Agency have been contacted over water run-off issues.

Witnesses have claimed to have seen a dark plume of smoke from campus but this is has now dispersed.

Fires are now as common in Portswood as charity shops. Last month a small fire broke out in the Lloyds TSB bank and last academic year saw a large warehouse fire behind the high street cause chaos. Back in March, a blaze saw the Talking Heads face some damage just before its relaunch.

Check out some photos from the scene earlier: