A major Oxford street had to be closed after a restaurant burst into flames.

At around 10.56pm on Friday night, fire engines raced to reports of George Street’s ASK Italian being on fire.

Two fire appliances from Rewley Road Fire Station and one from Slade Park were mobilised to deal with the restaurant blaze.

A spokesperson for Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “On arrival, crews were faced with a fire in the kitchen at the rear of the property that could be clearly seen from the street.

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Fire engines were onsite to tackle the blaze.Fire engines were onsite to tackle the blaze. (Image: Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service)

“Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus had to force entry and extinguish the fire using high-pressure hose reels.

“A large fan was used to remove smoke from the building.

“Incident commander Jason Clifford said the early detection from the fire alarm prevented the fire from escalating to the rest of the building and urged everyone to check they have working smoke detectors.”

Firefighters say that the cause of the fire is currently unknown.

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George Street was closed off while the emergency services dealt with the incident meaning bus services had to reroute.

A service update statement from Stagecoach on Friday night said: “We are unable to service George Street due to an unforeseen road closure.

“All services using George Street will now pick passengers up at Magdalen Street.”

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