Crosspool News – crosspool.info
The Crosspool community website run by Crosspool Forum
Four fire engines put out a fire on the seventh floor of the derelict Hallam Towers hotel at around 6pm last night.
South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue says the fire was started deliberately.
In October it was reported that the building would be knocked down to make way for apartments and serviced building plots.
A car fire near the Manchester Road/Fulwood Road junction is causing delays for commuters this morning.
A fire engine and police are in attendance, with the fire put out by 8.15am.
Earlier today Crosspool Forum hosted a Special Open Meeting at St Columba’s to discuss recent vandalism to local allotments.
Fifty three allotment tenants from Marsh Lane, Hagg Lane, Rosco Bank and Rivelin attended with a view to discussing how to prevent such problems in the future.
The attendees came up with nine proposals – download the bullet point summary below.
As allotment holders appeal for spare materials to help them rebuild the Marsh Lane allotments cafe, tool store and site toilet, a special Open Meeting has been arranged to discuss the problem of Crosspool allotment vandalism.
The 25 August fire came just a few days after a blaze at Hagg Lane allotments on 14 August.
The council have supplied a skip to Marsh Lane allotments and a group of gardener volunteers have been working to clear the site.
One plot belonging to allotment holder Jeff Walker was left devastated but thanks to a generous donation from an anonymous benefactor Jeff should be in a position to replace the shed with something more substantial and possibly fire resistant.
Marsh Lane allotment holders are now in desperate need for any timber, glass, concrete, breeze blocks, slabs and other building material to help rebuild their buildings. They’re particularly looking for support from local building yards and glass merchants.
If you can help then please call Jeff Walker on 07970 539986.
Meanwhile, local councillors, council officers, and our local police officers, in their determination to end the current blight of vandalism at local allotments, have arranged for an emergency Open Meeting to be held at  St Columba’s Church Hall, Friday 5 September at 10am. Everyone is welcome.
Volunteers have been left devastated following an arson attack on Hagg Lane allotment hut.
The main building was set alight on Thursday 14 August at around 11pm. The fire brigade was called and the fire put out but not before serious damage had been done to both the building and stock.
In addition there were some more break-ins to individual huts.
Hagg Lane & District Gardeners’ Allotments Society would like to say thank you for the over 50 emails of support since the fire and the help they’ve had clearing up.
If you’d like to lend your support then please contact them via their website.
For more information and photos, read their latest posts.
A fire at a house on Cardoness Road was reported around 6.40pm last night and subsequently dealt with by the fire service.
There was one minor casualty, with a woman in her 50s treated for minor smoke inhalation but she did not need to attend hospital.
The fire, which involved a motorbike, started in a garage then spread into the kitchen of an adjoining house. The garage and kitchen suffered extensive damaged, and the rest of the house was heavily smoke logged.
Early indications are that the fire started accidentally, involving electrics in the garage.
The road was cordoned off, with three fire engines and police remaining on the scene until around 8.50pm.
Teams from the local fire brigade and police force were at Saturday’s Summer Fayre, talking to residents about the work they do and allowing children to explore their vehicles.
A tug-o’-war rope had been set up and after watching some the public enjoy a challenge for fun, officers from South Yorkshire Police and South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue agreed to take each other on.
Watch a video of the duel below to find out which team ended up on the floor and just how much extra help the winners enlisted!
You can also see a film of local families enjoying a tug-o’-war challenge.
We’ve been finding out a bit more information about Thursday’s explosion and fire in the flat above the chemist in the Crosspool shopping precinct.
The exact cause of how the fire started just after 9:05am is not known. The tenant suspects that it was probably sparked by an electrical fault.
Nicky, Pharmacist at the Crosspool (Greencross) Chemist said, “We realised there was a problem when we heard two loud bangs from the apartment above. the tenant and myself battled the fire with extinguishers in an attempt to quell the flames, but soon realised that the fire was too fierce.”
Passer-by Patrick Scott, caretaker at Lydgate School, encouraged Nicky and the tenant to leave the premises and call the fire brigade. Thankfully no-one sustained serious injuries.
The first indication for shoppers in the precinct that there was something wrong, was when black smoke was seen billowing from the rear of the apartment at around 9:15am, and the swift arrival of two fire engines.
Fire fighters soon had the fire under control, and the building was declared safe, with the chemist shop reopening later that morning.
Other than smoke damage to the flat and the chemist below sustaining minor water damage, the majority of damage, largely as a result of the tenant’s presence of mind to close interior doors, was confined to the apartment’s lounge and its contents.
This morning an explosion triggered a fire in the flat above the chemist in Crosspool shops on Sandygate Road.
The fire brigade were called and successfully extinguished the fire. No-one was hurt in the incident, but the chemist was closed this morning while damage to the building was being assessed.
More information to follow.
A fire in a property on the edge of Crosspool is currently being attended to by South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue (9pm, 13 September 2010).
Fire crews were alerted around 5pm when plumes of smoke were seen coming from the roof of a derelict house within the grounds of Sheffield University’s Ranmoor Village accommodation.
Building work was taking place on the property, which is near to the modern Shore Court accommodation block and is located between Shore Lane and Manchester Road.
The smoke drifted as least as far as the Arts Tower and was visible from other vantage points across the city.
Information available this evening has been limited, but it is not thought that anyone has been hurt in the incident. The cause of the fire is unknown.
At around 7.15pm, National Grid engineers arrived to isolate the gas supply to the property from Manchester Road. This work will not affect gas supplies to nearby houses.
As of 9pm this evening, the bottom end of Shore Lane was closed and police were directing cars away from the top end of the road. Manchester Road is open as normal.
Update 17 September: The fire brigade has confirmed that nobody was hurt in the fire and it is not being treated as suspicious.
BBC news story about the incident
South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue report and photos on Facebook
Photo of smoke taken from across the city
Crosspool News - crosspool.info 
