A blaze raged through the night at a café in a Bath park this weekend, resulting in damage worth thousands of pounds.
CCTV recordings from approximately 12.30am on Saturday, August 23, captured flames erupting at Alice Park Café. The fire continued burning for several hours before anyone raised the alarm.
By 7am, when a dog walker discovered the inferno and contacted the fire brigade, the flames had spread extensively and the café was completely ablaze.
Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire, but the Alice Park Café team now faces a substantial repair bill, reports . The owners estimate the restoration work will cost them £9,500.
A café spokesperson described it as fortunate in some ways: "Could have been so so so much worse - as you all know the entire place is made of wood."
Incredibly, the café has now resumed operations.
Whilst no official cause has been determined, some have suggested that wayward teenagers may have ignited the bins.
One local resident reported witnessing signs of arson in the vicinity: "I recently watched some teenagers down on Grosvenor Bridge (Olly's trails) start a bonfire under the tinder dry tree canopy cover so I politely shouted out "hey lads why have you lit a fire?
"They replied 'because it's fun', so I suggested it wasn't a great idea in hot weather with dry foliage and they simply said they'd carry on. I walked away and said fair enough I'd call the fire service then and hung around out of sight.
"The smoke stopped so I think they heeded the warning! Crazy."
The team at Alice Park Café have identified the cause of a recent fire, informing their Facebook followers: "We do know who did it, it was a birthday party with BBQs again."
In response to the incident, a kind-hearted individual has initiated a fundraiser to aid the café in covering repair costs. Ciaran, who is neither an owner nor a staff member at Alice Park but a long-time patron of 20 years, felt compelled to establish a GoFundMe campaign following the fire.
Ciaran, who has already amassed £1,000 from a single generous donor, told Somerset Live: "We really like the food there and we walk our dog in the park. My wife is vegetarian and they do nice vegetarian food."
Alice Park Café has since reopened its doors to the public, operating seven days a week from 9.15am to 5pm. The fundraiser can be supported online.
