Student block up in smoke after cooking left unattended at University of Birmingham

Firefighters attended a fire in a five-storey student accommodation at University of Birmingham on Church Road in Edgbaston, last night (Thursday, June 15). Around 40 residents had evacuated themselves from Chamberlain Hall.

Fourty five West Midlands Fire Service firefighters, eight fire engines and an aerial platform attended the incident at 10.05pm - which they said was caused by cooking being left unattended.

The first crew arrived at the third-floor flat within five minutes of being mobilised - the whole floor was affected by smoke and the flat was damaged by fire. Firefighters in breathing apparatus entered the building. A main jet was also used to extinguish the fire.

By 10.45pm, everybody had been accounted for. The fire was out by 11pm, and some residents were able to go back inside half an hour later. However, some needed to be found alternative accommodation by university staff.

West Midlands Fire Service started to scale down their resources at the scene around 12.30am on Friday. Firefighters revisited at 7am on Friday morning (June 16) and found no remaining hotspots.