Published: November 30, 2007
28 residents evacuated after fire sweeps through Burnham nursing home

Twenty eight residents were evacuated from a Burnham-On-Sea nursing home after a major blaze left 25 rooms damaged on Friday night (November 30th).

Burnham-On-sea.com reported on Friday evening how a blaze had broken out in a first floor room at Hillview Nursing Home in Berrow Road - leaving fire crews from across Somerset to battle flames and thick smoke to bring the blaze under control.

Two people were rescued from inside, but dozens of residents had to be moved into temporary accommodation overnight because of the smoke damage in 25 other rooms.

West Country Ambulance spokeswoman Lynn Paramore told Burnham-On-Sea.com: "A fleet of ambulances from West Country Ambulance and St John Ambulance has been used to evacuate 28 residents from the nursing home."

"None of the 28 people are injured, but with poor weather conditions overnight, none of the residents can stay at the home and they are being evacuated to other parts of the county."

Gerard Woods, Assistant Commissioner of Operations for St John Ambulance, told Burnham-On-Sea.com that six of its ambulances had been deployed to the scene from Burnham, Cheddar, Wells, Frome, Bridgwater and Glastonbury.

He added that the 28 occupants of the nursing home had been moved to other accommodation in Yeovil, Burnham and Axbridge for the night.

"This was the biggest operation of its size for St John Ambulance in Somerset," he said.

More photos from the scene