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A devastating fire today ripped through Birmingham’s TGI Friday’s restaurant.
The blaze, which caused traffic chaos, broke out at TGI Friday’s in Hagley Road, Edgbaston, shortly after 6am.
Nearby hotels and homes were evacuated as smoke billowed from the roof.
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Hagley Road, one of the busiest gateways into the city, was closed, causing tailbacks of more than two miles to Bearwood and the Smethwick boundary.
Seventy five firefighters tackled the blaze, which is believed to have started in the kitchen and spread to the roof.
An electricity sub-station was turned off over fears it could ignite, knocking out power to 1,190 homes and businesses.
The alarm had been raised by a police officer who had spotted smoke emerging from the building and blowing across the road.
Station commander Nigel Sowden, of West Midlands Fire Service, said: “This is one of the biggest fires within the Birmingham area we have dealt with for some time. The fire was in a rear extension of the building but using offensive firefighting techniques we managed to prevent it spreading.”
The chain was unavailable for comment and it was unclear at this stage what the future held for the restaurant, which employs 80 staff.
Shocked kitchen worker Liam Mulholland, aged 33, from Halesowen, who has been at the restaurant for 12 years, was at the scene today.
He said: “It is sad to see the building like this after being here so long, it is horrible.”
Long queues of traffic built up along Hagley Road.
The inbound carriageway reopened at 9.30am, and traffic in the opposite direction was moving freely by 11am.
Acting Insp Des Lambert, of West Midlands Police, said: “We did ask ask motorists if possible to try and avoid the area around Hagley Road.
“Firefighters were carrying out investigations this morning and said so far there was no suggestion as to whether or not the fire was started as a result of an arson attack.
Around 25 firefighters were still at the restaurant damping down today.
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