Police treat fire that wrecked Garthdee pub as suspicious
community focal point for almost 50 years destroyed
Published:
AN ABERDEEN bar has been destroyed in a fire that police are treating as suspicious.
Firefighters were called to the Copper Beech, in Auchinyell Road, Garthdee, at 2.30am yesterday.
A 31-year-old male employee, who was asleep inside when the fire started, managed to escape and was taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.
Police closed the road between Garthdee Drive and Morrison Drive while 16 firefighters tackled the blaze using four units.
Nearby residents were woken in the night by loud bangs and the sound of windows popping as the bar, which first opened in the early 1960s, went up in flames.
A joint police and fire service investigation is now being carried out to establish the cause of the fire.
An ambulance crew took the injured man to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary about 3.40am. He is not being treated as a suspect and his condition is not believed to be life-threatening.
The bar had been renovated and reopened under new management just six months ago after being closed for three years.
Councillor Scott Cassie, who lives within half a mile of the bar, said the loss of the nightspot was “an absolute disaster” for the surrounding community.
He said: “It has been here since 1960. People used to come from all over the city to the Copper Beech.
“It is a focal point for the local community, who had waited for three years for it to come back into use.”
Firefighters who were still at the scene yesterday morning said they believed the flames had spread quickly because the building’s metal roof prevented heat from escaping and a large quantity of gas canisters and flammable spirits were kept on the premises.
At the height of the blaze, flames were coming out every window and loud bangs could be heard from hundreds of yards away.
Firefighters initially entered the building wearing breathing apparatus but had to withdraw and tackle the flames from the outside when the fire began to spread quickly.
One resident of Deeside Park, about 400 yards from Copper Beech, was shocked at how quickly the flames took hold of the building.
He said: “I smelt burning at around 2am but when I looked out I saw blue flashing lights so I went to bed thinking that it was all under control.
“Then, at around 3.30am, I was awoken by some loud popping sounds and, when I looked out, the whole place was ablaze, with flames soaring high up into the air.”
Detective Sergeant Norman Stevenson said: “Everything seemed to be in order when the premises closed at 11pm last night.
“The fire was reported at around 2.30am and we are keen to hear from witnesses who saw people or vehicles in the vicinity between those hours or heard anything unusual.”
An investigation into the cause of the fire began yesterday morning with door-to-door inquiries at homes in the area surrounding the bar.
The area was closed to the public amid fears that the burned-out structure could collapse. Officers were waiting for structural engineers to declare the site safe yesterday evening before they could enter and begin a full investigation.
Bus services that normally pass through Auchinyell Road were rerouted until the road reopened at 3pm.
Owner Ian Anderson was unavailable for comment last night and staff at Mr Anderson’s Bucksburn pub, the Staging Post, also declined to comment.
Anyone with any information about the fire has been urged to contact police on 0845 600 5700 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
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