Residents across Cardiff were urged to keep their windows and doors closed after a major fire broke out at a sheltered housing unit near the Principality Stadium. Thick smoke from the blaze, which started just before midnight on Monday, was visible for miles and spread across large parts of the city, including Cardiff Bay.
South Wales Fire and Rescue Service confirmed they were called to the incident in the Fitzhamon Embankment area of Riverside, directly opposite the stadium, at around midnight. Crews worked throughout the night to contain the fire, which caused damage to the building’s roof. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
In an official statement issued at 2:54am, the fire service advised: “In attendance in Riverside, Cardiff. Smoke travelling to Cardiff Bay area. Keep doors and windows closed.”
Although crews left the scene in the early hours of Tuesday, they were set to return later in the day to check for flare-ups. A fire investigation has now been launched, and part of the embankment remains cordoned off.
Eyewitnesses described the dramatic scene as emergency services battled the flames. Holly Chadd, who was staying at the nearby Holiday Inn, recounted: “I was staying at the hotel, and as I went to bed, there were lots of red and blue lights opposite. I couldn’t see the fire, so I thought it must be a huge police operation. I decided to go outside and walk to the river. From there, it was easy to see the fire and the amount of work the fire brigade were putting into tackling the blaze.”
Local residents also reported experiencing the impact of the fire. One Cardiff resident described the scale of the smoke, saying: “I’m in Cardiff Central, and I can smell a huge amount of smoke. The smoke is thick, and it’s drifting across Cardiff. It looks like there’s a fire somewhere in the city. Please close your windows and put on air purifiers if you have them.”
A resident from Atlantic Wharf added: “We could smell the smoke from inside at 2am, even with the windows shut. You can see the smoke lingering in the sky this morning.”
Investigators will now work to determine the cause of the fire as the city recovers from the incident.
Fire near Principality Stadium sends smoke across Cardiff
You may also like
About the author
