A FIRE at former Fishponds pub the Farriers Arms was started deliberately, firefighters believe.
The blaze was spotted shortly before 7.30pm on Friday and crews from six fire stations were involved in putting it out.
Fishponds Road was closed for around two and a half hours as the crews fought the fire.
An Avon fire & Rescue spokesperson said the former pub, which is owned by supermarket chain Morrisons, was “well alight” when firefighters arrived.
The spokesperson said: “Crews used water jets, and hose reels alongside the turn table ladder to project water onto the fire.
“Four firefighters wore breathing apparatus to control the fire from the exterior of the property.
“The gas and electricity were isolated to make sure the property was safe.
“Firefighters were then able to scale back the incident and a reinspection of the property was booked due to the nature of the incident.
“Crews worked with police to make the scene safe and manage the traffic as the road was closed until around 10 pm that evening.”
The building was reinspected shortly after 5am on Saturday. Firefighters used thermal imaging cameras to check for hotspots and dampened down any possible hazards.
During their work to make the area safe the firefighters pushed a chimney stack which stood at the end of the building next to the junction with Hockeys Lane into the building, which had already suffered severe damage to the roof.
The pub has stood empty, with its windows bricked up, since October 2010.
In 2021 Morrisons was refused planning permission to knock down the building, which dates back to the 19th century, and replace it with an open area the supermarket giant described as a “public realm”.