The scene in Bridge Street - from fighting the fire to the aftermath.The scene in Bridge Street - from fighting the fire to the aftermath.
The scene in Bridge Street - from fighting the fire to the aftermath.

The great Share's fire, which ripped through the Sunderland store in 1969

By Chris Cordner
Published 13th Nov 2023, 04:55 BST
Updated 14th Nov 2023, 04:45 BST

Firefighters valiantly tackled the blaze through the night

This was the scene in Sunderland 54 years today, November 14.

Traffic jams built up and stretched to the outskirts of Sunderland as Bridge Street was closed because of a fire.

It gutted the Share furniture store and severely damaged three other shops.

Damage was estimated to the furniture store alone at £100,000 and the incident drew crowds who gathered at midnight to watch it all.

Here are seven photos of the night and the aftermath - all from the Sunderland Echo archives.

It gutted the Share furniture store and severely damaged three other shops.

The midnight spectators outside St Marys R C Church.

5. A view from above

The midnight spectators outside St Marys R C Church.

Photo Sales
Firefighters battle on despite a hard night's work.

6. Heroes at the scene

Firefighters battle on despite a hard night's work.

Photo Sales
Surveying the scene the next morning.

7. The aftermath

Surveying the scene the next morning.

Photo Sales
The shell of the buildings the morning after the blaze.

8. Damping down

The shell of the buildings the morning after the blaze.

Photo Sales
Previous
2 / 3
Next Page
Related topics:FireSunderlandPropertiesNostalgia

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.