Talbot Hotel in Stourbridge evacuated due to fire in manhole

Firefighters were called to Stourbridge High Street just after 12.15pm today (Tuesday November 19).

West Midlands Fire Service said one fire engine from Brierley Hill and one from Stourbridge responded, with the first appliance arriving within two minutes of being mobilised.

Stourbridge High Street taped off as firefighters tackle a fire in an underground manhole (Image: Ian White)

A spokesperson for the service said: “This is a fire in an underground manhole located outside the Talbot Hotel. Smoke had entered the hotel through ducting.

“The hotel was evacuated as a precaution and the High Street was closed. There have been no injuries. Police colleagues are in attendance to assist with traffic management.”

The fire service said the National Grid has been alerted to the incident to assist with digging out and WMFS’s spokesperson added: “At present, we have one fire engine and crew at the scene, who are monitoring the manhole, which is no longer smoking.”

People in neighbouring buildings reported the power going off and being advised to leave as  a precaution.

National Grid Electricity Distribution said the incident occurred due to a fault on the underground network, which left 11 properties without power.

A spokesperson said: "We are aware of a fault on our underground network near The Talbot Hotel in Stourbridge.

"Our engineers are on site and working to fix the fault as quickly as they can. We anticipate that the 11 properties that have lost power in the area will be restored by 8.30pm. 

"We’d like to thank customers for their patience and understanding while we complete the work, as well as West Midlands Fire Service for their swift response to the incident. We're sorry for the inconvenience caused today."