The fire that destroyed a pub in Bradwell-on-Sea was caused by an unattended chip fan, Essex Fire and Rescue investigators have ruled.
The blaze which ripped through the King's Head pub on Friday evening was at first thought to be suspicious, but an investigation has revealed the cause to have in fact been an accident, after a chip pan was left unattended as it's though the owners were distracted by events of the Ryder Cup.
Firefighters have been praised for their work in protecting heritage buildings in close proximity to the pub as the fire raged, as well as the efforts of local residents.
Incident commander Assistant Divisional Officer Dave Moore has praised the efforts of a local farmer who brought much-needed water to the scene at the height of the blaze.
"Bradwell has some of the oldest historical buildings in the country and the pub on the High Street sits at the heart of some very old properties. Crews did an excellent job in protecting the village heritage - they worked quickly and under great pressure not only to tackle the blaze but in making sure surrounding risks were protected.
"We owe particular thanks to a local farmer - with low water supplies in the area, he played a critical role in delivering water to the scene when it was needed most. In fact the entire community were fantastic, supporting crews in their work."
Divisional Officer Lee Lucas, who headed the fire investigation, has said although the cause was accidental, there are lessons to be learned from the cause of the fire.
"It appears the owners of the pub were preparing for evening service. They cleaned out the industrial chip pan, refilled it and then went up to watch the golf, propping open a fire door. All these things added up - the distraction, leaving cooking unattended and finally the importance of closed doors to prevent fire spread."
