Update after old Hereford hospital building catches fire

Emergency services were called to the blaze at Victoria House in Eign Street on March 26. 

Flames were shooting from the roof of the building and billowing smoke could be seen from some distance. A total of six fire engines, plus the the incident command unit from Ledbury and the aerial ladder platform from Worcester, were needed to bring the fire under control.

The stench of the smoke was hanging in the area around Eign Street, and the area was full of bystanders who gathered watch the emergency unfold. 

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Firefighters used eight jets to fight the blaze, and eventually left the scene at around 11pm on March 26. They returned the following morning to inspect the building and check for hotspots. 

A gaping hole could be seen in the roof where the flames tore through. 

The aftermath of the fire (Image: Susan Tattersall)The aftermath of the fire (Image: Paul Rogers)

Fire investigators have now completed their report, and said the official cause of the fire was that it was accidental. This is not the fire time that Victoria House has caught fire. 

There was a major blaze there in November 2021, when only a quick response from the fire service prevented the building from being completely destroyed. 

The derelict building was last used as NHS offices, standing in front of what was the old Victoria Eye Hospital. Ten years ago, a developer wanted to build a retirement village consisting of of 40 apartments, but the plan floundered. 

It had already been empty for several years before then. The main hospital building closed when the new Hereford County Hospital opened in 2022. It was later converted to apartments.