Crews from Essex County Fire & Rescue Service were called to The Three Horseshoes in Harlow at around 9.30pm on Thursday 26 December 2024 after a roof fire broke out at the pub.
On arrival at the scene, firefighters reported the blaze was impacting the first floor and around 30% of the roof was alight.
Crews fought the inferno in sections, removing parts of the roof to get the fire under control and cool down the affected areas.
Kind words and support
At 3am (Friday 27 December) the incident commander confirmed the fire was completely out and the building was cool.
An investigation found the cause of the fire was an extractor fan in the ladies’ toilets.
Operators Sharon and Dave Horn also lived above the Grade II listed pub, which is owned by Star. While there were no reports of injuries, the couple’s dog died in the fire.
A fundraiser on GoFundMe was created on Saturday 28 December to help the operators “rebuild their lives” and at the time of publication had reached 32% of its £2.2k target (£705).
In a post on the pub’s Facebook page, the licensing duo thanked those who had offered their “kind words and support”.
Shaken and numb
The post said: “Your donations have been so helpful as we only have the clothes we stand in. We are very shaken and numb to say the least. But thank you all.”
A spokesperson for Star Pubs told The Morning Advertiser (The MA) the pubco was “unable” to say when the pub would reopen but that it was looking at how the get venue “restored and back at the heart of the community”.
The spokesperson added: “None of the staff or customers were injured. Sadly, a much-loved dog belonging to the licensees died in the fire and our sincere sympathies go to the owner.
“We’d like to take this opportunity to thank the emergency services. The pub is both fire and water damaged. It is now closed and has been secured.
“Specialist contractors have now visited the Three Horseshoes to look at the extent of the damage.”
