It's business as usual at an estate agents in Welshpool after four fire crews were called out to the property the night before.


Harry Ray & Company on Broad Street suffered from smoke and fire damage after a fire took place to the rear of the property in the early hours of Wednesday, December 5.


Duncan Andrew, one of the partners at the firm, said: “We’re open in some form, that’s the most important thing. We are here and we are open. There’s quite a lot of damage but we are here.”


The estate agents may be covered in soot and have no electric or gas, but staff at Harry Ray & Company have managed to use their mobile phones, access limited wifi and use industrial lighting to continue at work. Customers have even come in to look at properties.


Mr Andrew said: “What’s the point in us shutting? We’re a business people rely on, we’ve got to stay open.” 


“We’re not making a big fuss,” he said.


Both partners from the firm, Duncan Andrew and Jim Mason, attended the scene of the fire in the night. Mr Andrew said: “It was more or less out by the time we got there, the fire crews did a very good job.” 


A statement from the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said: “On Wednesday, December 5, at 1.02am, crews from Welshpool, Montgomery, Llanfair Caereinion and Newtown attended a property fire in Broad Street, Welshpool.


“The fire was located on the ground floor level of a three-storey building, used as a commercial property and domestic flat, with the whole of the property affected by smoke.


“Firefighters extinguished the fire using a six-breathing apparatus, two main jets, two hose reel jets, a seven-meter ladder and a roof ladder.


“The Fire Service left the incident at 3.44am.”