The Star Inn at Harome fire: North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service give update on cause of devastating blaze at 14th-century thatched pub

UPDATED AT 12.30pm: The fire service have now confirmed the fire began in the thatched roof, which was mostly destroyed, but crews managed to save one end and the ground floor from damage.

The 14th-century thatched inn's roof has suffered significant damage in a fire which began at around 10pm on Wednesday night in the North Yorkshire village.

The Star is a Michelin-starred gastropub owned by top chef Andrew Pern, and the business tweeted that they had been 'reduced to ashes' by the fire.

Nobody was injured in the incident and all occupants managed to escape the building safely.

The cause was not immediately apparent when fire crews attended the scene so specialist investigators will now move in once the building has been made safe.

They will consider potential causes such as arson, electrical faults or accidental ignition.

A statement from the fire service issues this morning read: "Fire crews from Helmsley, Kirkbymoorside and Pickering along with the aerial ladder platform from Huntington were called to a fire in a thatched roof at 22:13 on 24 November in Harome, near Helmsley.

"All the occupants of the property were out on the arrival of crews.

"Crews have been at the scene overnight and at its peak there were nine appliances (fire engines), one aerial ladder platform, one water bowser, one welfare unit and an incident command unit in attendance.

"Crews worked with main jets and hose reel jets to contain the fire and the aerial ladder platform was deployed to removed thatch from the roof.

"The incident was scaled back to seven fire engines and the aerial ladder platform at around 5:45am.

"The incident is still ongoing and crews are still working to extinguish the fire in the roof using hose reel jets and 45mm jets.

"There is no cause at this time, but fire investigation officers will be attending the incident this morning."

Mr Pern also owns two other restaurants, The Star Inn the Harbour at Whitby and The Star Inn the City in York.

In November 2018, a fire that began in the kitchen at the York site led to it closing for four months for a full renovation.

The Star Inn at Harome is the fifth country pub in North Yorkshire to be severely damaged by fire in the past 18 months.

In July 2020, the landlord of The Old Swan Inn at Gargrave, near Skipton, was critically injured and had to be rescued after a fire broke out at his pub. The brewery which owns the pub have pledged to rebuild it.

In September 2020, The Cresswell Arms in Appleton-le-Street, near Malton, suffered severe roof damage after a fire accidentally ignited in the kitchen. It has since re-opened.

The Tiger Inn at Coneythorpe, near Knaresborough, re-opened around four months after an accidental fire broke out in November 2020.

And in March 2021 family-owned The Lion Inn at Blakey Ridge, which stands at the highest point of the North York Moors, suffered a fire which started in a storage cellar.