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Constitution Hill Blaze at Birmingham’s Grade II-Listed HB Sale Building Ruled Accidental

More than 50 firefighters contained the fourth-floor blaze at the Grade II-listed former HB Sale factory.

Overview

  • Fire broke out shortly before 7:30am on January 16 at 1 Constitution Hill in Hockley, concentrated on the top floor and roof space.
  • West Midlands Fire Service deployed 13 crews with 10 engines, two 4x4 brigade vehicles and a hydraulic aerial platform, with the first crew on scene within four minutes.
  • One man was treated for smoke inhalation and taken to Midlands Metropolitan University Hospital.
  • Constitution Hill and parts of Summer Lane were closed with several bus routes diverted, then roads later reopened as the response was scaled down.
  • Investigators determined the cause was accidental, damping down was completed Friday, and crews conducted overnight safety revisits as National Grid isolated a nearby substation.