New images taken at the scene on Wednesday morning show the full extent of the damage to the Victorian building, which lost its roof in Monday’s fire. Scaffolding has been erected across the front of the structure as contractors assess what remains. National Grid vehicles and a cherry picker were photographed on site as engineers worked on overhead power lines in the immediate area.
South Wales Police remain at the scene. Warning signs and barrier tape are in place across Sterry Road, which continues to be closed to traffic. Local residents say the section of road alongside the chippy side of the street remains inaccessible, though pedestrians can use the opposite pavement near Top Fade barbers and Gowerton station.
The fire broke out at 1.13pm on Easter Monday, with six fire stations responding to the blaze at the derelict three-storey building. Crews from Gorseinon, Swansea Central, Morriston, Tumble, Llanelli and Swansea West attended, deploying a turntable ladder as a water tower. The building’s roof collapsed during the fire.
Fire crews left the scene at 6.20pm on Monday. A reinspection at 11pm extinguished remaining hotspots, with scene management then handed to South Wales Police for overnight monitoring. A further reinspection was carried out at 8am on Tuesday morning.
South Wales Police confirmed on Tuesday that a formal fire investigation was not required. The road was closed while structural engineers assessed the building for collapse risk, with police warning at that stage there was no timescale for reopening.
The building has a troubled history. It was previously damaged by fire in October 2020, with a new roof fitted in 2021 — the same roof destroyed in Monday’s blaze. When the property was listed for sale in 2023 at £230,000, the seller declared that fire damage from the 2020 incident remained.
The building was most recently in use as the home of the Community Cwtch charity shop, whose signage remains visible on the ground floor of the fire-damaged structure.
Sterry Road is one of Gowerton’s main commercial arteries and its continued closure is causing significant disruption to the village. The Gowerton Fish and Chips shop, located immediately adjacent to the damaged building, is among the businesses affected.
A National Grid spokesperson said: “Following the fire at a property in Gowerton, and at the request of the emergency services, our engineers attended the site to make the electricity supply safe. As a precaution, the supply was disconnected and removed, and protective works were carried out to enable scaffolding to be erected safely.
“All work has been focused on safety and all of our equipment has now been made safe. There is no wider impact on local electricity supplies.”
