Fire damages semi-detached home

A semi-detached house in Coventry has been damaged in a fire, West Midlands Fire Service said.

Crews were called to reports of a blaze on Clifford Bridge Road about 19:10 BST on Tuesday, and found a fire on the first floor had spread into the home's roof and conservatory.

The service sent four engines and two brigade response vehicles, while six firefighters in breathing apparatus extinguished the flames with hose reels and mains jets.

The service said there were no casualties during the incident, and that it returned to the scene on Wednesday to check for hotspots.

A local councillor has told the BBC firefighters had to "hammer" a fire hydrant free at the scene due to it being covered by a new cycleway.

Reform UK Wyken member Dawn McCann has previously campaigned against the felling of trees to make way for the cycle lane and the closure of part of Clifford Bridge Road while it was installed.

She said: "Due to our cycle lane, the people who work on it had painted over the hydrant... [The fire brigade] couldn't find the hydrants because all the markings were gone."

However, West Midlands Fire Service said there were no issues accessing the hydrant.

A spokesperson said that lids could become stuck for a number of reasons, including dirt, silt, rust and the impact of heavy vehicles.

"Our frontline fire engines are fitted with a digital system to help locate hydrants. If they haven't been opened for some time, their covers often have to be struck.

"While this particular cover did have paint on it, this did not cause any issues when it came to locating or accessing the hydrant, nor did it affect our firefighting operations."

Coventry City Council has also been contacted for a response to the claims.

McCann added her daughter lived in the next-door-but-one house to the fire and was temporarily evacuated, but allowed to return home about midnight.

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