Osborne View fire: Watch footage of flames ripping through Hill Head pub and hotel devastated in inferno

Firefighters from multiple crews were deployed to the inferno at The Osborne View in Hill Head Road in the early hours of this morning (February 22). In total, ten fire engines and two water carriers rushed to the area alongside police officers.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service (HIWFRS) were called to the scene at 2.30am. Video footages from the scene shows the extent of the inferno. No guests were staying in the hotel at the time, but staff have to be evacuated. The blaze started in the roof space of the three-storey hotel and restaurant.

This afternoon at the scene, incident commander Jim Clarke said: “We are currently using six fire engines, the aerial ladder and jets to dampen down hotspots. We anticipate an emergency service presence for a large portion of the day and we’re liaising with local residents about safety precautions such as keeping doors and windows closed whilst the incident is ongoing. There is sadly a significant amount of damage to the building. Our empathy is with the owners, staff and local residents as we know The Osborne View is an asset to the community.”

The fire service said the incident was scaled down at 4.45pm, with the majority of firefighters returning to their stations. "One fire engine and an aerial ladder platform will remain on site," HIWFRS added. "It is anticipated that at some point this evening we will see all crews leaving the site as we switch to a re-inspection plan to continue to monitor for any hotspots."