Man rescued from Sunderland pub blaze

Fire crews from Sunderland Central, Marley Park and Farringdon fire station were called to The Saltgrass in Deptford at 1.33am today.

The two-storey detached building, which is opposite the Liebherr crane factory, consists of a pub on the ground floor and accommodation on the first floor.

Firefighters used a ladder to rescue a 45-year-old man from the flat roof on Hanover Place.

He was checked over at the scene by paramedics but didn’t need hospital treatment.

The fire was confined to the bar area which was 50% severely damaged and 50% smoke-damaged by the fire.

The first floor was also damaged by smoke.

Crews used a jet, hose reel jet, breathing apparatus and two positive ventilation units to extinguish the fire.

Police and fire crews were busy at the scene today to investigate exactly what happened.

A Northumbria Polcie spokeswoman said: "Police got a call about 2.20am this morning about the fire at Saltgrass pub in Sunderland.

"Officers were deployed to help the Fire Service and enquiries are on-going to determine the circumstances around the incident."

Group manager with Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service Bill Forster said: "We got a call at about 1.30am today following reports of a building on fire.

"Firefighters used breathing apparatus and a hose reel to contain and then extinguish the fire.

"We believed a man inside at the time climbed out on to a flat roof area.

"This is now an ongoing investigation."

Tragically, the fire struck just months after regulars toasted a new look at the Saltgrass - one of the city’s oldest boozers.

The pub was closed for 12 weeks while £60,000 worth of renovations were carried out to the historic watering hole.

At the time it reopened, owner Theresa Ingram says she felt strongly about retaining the venue’s rich heritage.

She said: “The pub is so well-known in Sunderland and it has such a richhistory. When the shipyards were open, it was said that the bartender knew everyone so well he’d have all their orders of ales lined up on the bar for them, ready for their break.

“And you often hear of people saying their grandma or grandad used to drink here. I love this pub and I felt really passionately about keeping that sense of history. So we’ve brought back a lot of old items and photos of people who used to drink here which were in the loft or storage and put them back, while also bringing the pub up to date.”

The pub dates back to 1842 and is believed to have got its name from a nearby mill which used esparto grass to make paper.

Theresa who has owned the pub for the past seven years with husband Peter, decided to take over the management side.

Speaking in May, she said: “Although we’ve owned it for seven years it’s been managed by other people, but I’ve taken over all aspects of the pub now.

"The pub was starting to look a bit tired, which is why we decided to close for refurbishment.

“But we’ve kept the character, such as replacing the open fire, which people love, as it was falling apart.”