READER'S ACCOUNT OF LEWES FIRE

The fire on Tuesday afternoon casued serious damage to the roof of the buuilding above Mackays in School Hill.

The blaze caused rush-hour traffic chaos.

Dr Heath reports:

I was doing a surgery in the building opposite when the fire started.

I called a patient in from the waiting room who asked me if I knew that the building opposite seemed to be on fire, as smoke was coming out from between the roof tiles above Mackay's, and one of the workmen was hurrying down the ladders connecting the scaffolding, with his mobile phone up to his ears.

Shortly afterwards he hurried back up to remove a gas cannister that had been left on the scaffolding.

Within minutes flames started coming out the roof and smoke started coming out from between the roof tiles above "Si" and from the side-hung tiles above Adamszski's.

A fire engine arrived very promptly on the scene with breathing apparatus.

There was then a series of explosions and we were ordered to evacuate the surgery, hastily diverting the phone to a mobile as we did so, which at least enabled us to deal with the large number of phone-calls from patients telling us they could not get to the surgery for their appointments.

The fire got considerably worse before being brought under control, extending to the floor below when the roof fell in.

Our cars were trapped in the car park but fortunately the other surgeries in the town kindly agreed to see any patients whose condition could not wait, although we did have to tell one whose condition sounded urgent, to dial 999.

The Sussex Express newspaper (Lewes edition) on sale today (September 8) has full coverage of the fire and many pictures.