Locals react to a fire at a former Derby pub, questioning what led to the incident after years of decline.
The pub used to be a tile shop called Enzo Ceramica. It closed back in 2018. Plans existed to transform the building, and locals accepted the loss of the place.
The building went up between 1878 and 1884. Many businesses used it to serve railway workers. It was a pub for decades, and people called it a community staple.
Freda Wilson walked by the building Friday. She said it felt sad to see it as the pub used to be a special place, but it felt like nobody cared for it lately.
Freda remembers piano music at the pub. It had live music and balls then. She thinks we need to save older pubs, because now it may get replaced with flats.
Flamur Bogdani works on Dickinson Street. He saw water everywhere that night. The fire was in an outbuilding at the pub’s rear, and police said a gas canister exploded.
The yard was full of waste, monitors, and drug items. Flamur thinks the area needs better security and worries about children nearby.
Carly Wilks lives on Selborne Street. She heard about a fire down the road, and it smelled bad after they put it out. There were rumors of a homeless person living there.
A fire service person spoke about the incident. They investigated the garage on Dickinson Road, but the fire’s cause remains undetermined by officials.
Fire crews arrived quickly on Thursday at 6:52 PM. They used an aerial ladder, and nobody was inside the building during the fire.