Firefighters extinguish derelict building fire in Gosport

By Connor Steel

HAMPSHIRE & IOW FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE have announced that they have successfully extinguished a “high intensity” fire that occurred in the Monks Walk area (Gosport) early on Sunday evening (24/08); this blaze destroying a derelict building that is reported to be the  Don Styler Physical Training Centre and was known / loved as a former gym.

Emergency services were called to the scene shortly after 6pm and cordons were set up to ensure public safety, whilst local residents were asked to close their doors and windows across the area. At this time the “one-storey” building was fully involved in the blaze alongside patches of dry grass and trees in this vicinity whilst occasional breeze posed a risk.

Plumes of smoke were visible across the town and beyond with social media posters sharing ‘still imagery’ of their view from multiple areas; including Holbrook, Elson, Hardway, Alverstoke and in Walpole Park. There was also photos taken from the ‘Victorious Festival’ held on Southsea Common with smoke in the background, as well as from Portsdown Hill.

Firefighters from Gosport, Cosham and Portchester attended as they were able to halt this blaze before damping down the scene. By wearing breathing apparatus and using hose reel jets the stop message came in at 9:04pm according to a statement on the fire service website with the destroyed building and the surrounding area inspected again overnight.

The Don Styler Physical Training Centre was formally used as a gym, youth hostel, and smallpox hospital, but the land and buildings were expected to be sold to the Ministry of Defence to prevent “anti-social behaviour” at the 0.73-hectare site. This facility has further featured in the Globe as being popular with UK paranormal investigators over recent years.

There have been rumours that youngsters were seen running away from the scene after this fire started, but this hasn’t been confirmed by any official source. At the time of the article being published (1pm on August 25), there has been no formal statement from firefighters on the exact cause of the fire or whether it is being investigated by Hampshire Police

PICTURED BY ALAMY (BE27BJ): Firefighters were called for blaze in Monks Walk area (Gosport) on Sunday evening.