Fire-fight damages Kirk Originals store

The fire, which took place on the evening of September 2, tore through a 100-year-old building and kept fire-fighters working throughout the night. At its height, 100 firemen were involved, and in the morning practice staff were not allowed back to the Earlham Street premises. Later it was found that the practice (pictured above) had been damaged by water, and the company's managing director, Jason Kirk, revealed how close the fire had come to destroying the store completely. 'Only when the fire reached the shop next door did the firemen succeed in controlling the blaze,' he said. 'We have been very lucky. At one stage it looked like all our stock and records were going to be destroyed.' The site is used as a storage space for most of the wholesale product that the company distributes. Clients who tried to contact the frame manufacturer in London this week heard a recorded message stating it was 'business as usual'. However, the company has warned that there may be a delay in delivery of 'a few days'.