THE owner of a cafe in Poverest was left distraught this morning (February 12) after her business was gutted by fire - on the same day she was due to sell up.
Bubble and Squeak cafe in Stanley Way was damaged by fire and smoke at around 6.30am this morning after the gas stove caught light.
Owner Karen Cowley, 44, says she was due to sell her business today after owning it for 10 years but will now be liasing with fire investigation officers and her insurance company instead of the potential new buyer.
Talking to News Shopper outside the cafe, she said: “The sale was supposed to go through today.
“It is a complete shock.
“We are just glad nobody was hurt. That is the most important thing I suppose.”
After turning off the gas, the member of staff who discovered the fire ran to a neighbouring business who then called the London Fire Brigade.
Eyewitnesses say the fire brigade were on the scene within around 10 minutes.
A London Fire Brigade spokesman confirmed four fire engines and around 20 firefighters were called to the cafe.
The brigade says around half of the ground floor was damaged by fire and four people had left the cafe and flats before firefighters arrived.
Crews from Sidcup, Orpington and Bromley fire stations had the blaze under control by 7.38am.
There were no reported injuries.
The shopkeeper next door says fireman had to run hoses through his shop to get to the flames at the rear of the cafe.
Kerry Elone, 21, lives above the shop with her young baby Tiane and husband. Most of her home has been ruined by the thick black smoke.
She said her husband left for work as usual and spotted the cafe was in fire.
Ms Elone said: “Baby’s room is right above the kitchen.
"When my husband called me I just acted on instinct.
“I couldn’t smell anything from my room but I just ran into the baby’s room, grabbed her and left.”
She added: “Our carbon monoxide detector was going crazy at one point.”
She has now contacted her landlord to help her begin cleaning the rented flat.
Traffic was queuing along Cray Avenue and Sevenoaks Way this morning as firefighters and police closed the roads.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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