Register to get free articles
Want unlimited access? View Plans
Already have an account? Sign in
Funerals must be rearranged following the outbreak of a fire at a Plymouth crematorium.
Some 22 firefighters were called to the scene to tackle the blaze, which broke out shortly after midday on New Year’s Eve.
“Urgent” arrangements must now be made for services taking place today and tomorrow (2 and 3 of January).
In a statement, Plymouth City Council said: “We are waiting to assess the full extent of the damage to the crematorium at Efford following the fire this lunch time.
“The fire was mainly in the roof space, although the cause of the blaze is not yet known. There were no members of the public in the building and there had only been one service in the morning at 10:45am.”
They added: “No services were planned for tomorrow, New Year’s Day, but a number had been planned for Thursday and Friday. We are currently making urgent arrangements with funeral directors to rearrange these services.”
“Clearly this situation is distressing for families who are already grieving from the loss of a loved one but we hope that they will understand the situation.
“We would like to thank the fire service for their extremely prompt response which helped contain the damage. We’d also like to thank the funeral directors who have been incredibly understanding and helpful. We hope to have a clearer picture later this week.”
