Students Evacuated as Kitchen Set Ablaze in Exeter

Five fire crews rushed to the scene of a blaze that erupted from the fourth-floor kitchen of a block of student accommodation in Exeter.

Northernhay House is owned and managed by Unite Students and is located right in the heart of Exeter, close to the University's Streatham campus.

Unite is the largest provider of student accommodation in the UK and manages the largest student block within the city. It took over two hours to put the blaze out, with the whole block of flats rushed to safety as officials struggled to evacuate students.

Over five applications have been sent for investigation as the cause is still to be determined. However, the suspected reason for the blaze is said to be a pan left unattended with an extractor fan running.

The five crews wrestled with the fire for over two hours before finally emerging triumphant, and the blaze extinguished at around 2 pm yesterday.