A huge emergency service presence remains at a former Debenhams building following a large fire.

Police have cordoned off Canterbury city centre, with pictures showing the abandoned store in the aftermath of the blaze.

Crews worked throughout the night to bring the blaze under control, with firefighting continuing today.

Around 30 people were evacuated from nine flats as the flames took hold, and one person was treated by medics for the effects of breathing in smoke.

The earlier advice to keep windows and doors closed has now been lifted, but people are being asked to not travel to the area unless necessary.

Guildhall Street remains cordoned off, between the High Street and Orange Street, while firefighting activities continue.

No one is thought to have been inside the building when the fire started.

In an update issued at 4.45pm today, the fire service said the blaze is now under control.

A spokesperson said: “Five fire engines and one height vehicle are currently at the scene of Canterbury High Street following a large fire which started yesterday evening in a derelict department store.

“The fire is under control and crews are at the scene damping down hotspots.

“There is still a cordon in place, but we are looking to reduce this as much as possible to allow businesses to return to normality as quickly as possible.

“The cause of the fire is to be investigated.”

In an earlier update, the fire service said: “Crews have worked hard to prevent fire spread and protect the surrounding historical buildings.

“One person was passed into the care of SECAmb paramedics, due to smoke inhalation.

“An investigation into the cause of the fire will begin shortly.”

Snow Shang, who lives in a flat in the High Street with her nine-year-old son, was among those evacuated.

She said: "We smelled the smoke and I said 'something is wrong'. I told my boy to get up.

“Immediately I heard an alarm in the hallway and could see smoke everywhere. It was really scary.

“I can't believe this has happened in Canterbury High Street, the most beautiful cathedral area. That's why we came to Canterbury."

Speaking from the scene this morning, the fire service's assistant director of response, Neil Griffiths, described the fire as "significant" and said it was a complex operation to bring it under control.

He said: "Firefighters were met with a significant developing fire. Adding to the complexity, it was an old building, full of voids. It was very very difficult to fight the fire. I can't stress enough what a great job they did.

"At the height of the fire we had approximately 50 firefighters, eight fire engines, specialist equipment and machinery.

"The first fire engine was here in four minutes, which enabled us to put an assertive attack on the fire and prevent it from spreading to surrounding buildings.

"There were some flats that were occupied so we had to evacuate 30 people from nine flats.

"Once we got the people out of the buildings, we were worried about protecting the city of Canterbury from the fire spread."

Mr Griffiths warned anyone visiting the city centre today to expect disruption, adding: "There's still smoke in the area so please be mindful if you're coming into Canterbury, there's going to be smoke, but also you're going to have restricted access to the High Street.

“Our priority is to make sure the fire is out and then manage the outer scene so people can go about their business."

The alarm was first raised just after 8.30pm yesterday.

A witness said at the time: “It’s very smoky. There’s smoke all the way down to The Ivy.

“I’ve seen five fire engines, two support cars and police.”

A police spokesman said: “Kent Police patrols attended the scene of a fire at a property in Guildhall Street, Canterbury at around 8.45pm on Monday 2 December 2024.

“Officers closed nearby roads and some residents were evacuated from adjacent properties while Kent Fire and Rescue Service tackled the blaze.

“The cause of the fire has not been established at this stage.”

A city council spokesperson said staff worked through the night to support those evacuated from their homes.

They said: “Council staff opened up a welfare centre in the city centre to help those who were evacuated from their homes during the night to provide warmth, shelter, a hot drink and a friendly face at what was and continues to be a very stressful time.

"Our teams worked hard to support those that could arrange a place to stay for themselves and found overnight accommodation for those that could not.

"We continue to liaise closely with Kent Fire and Rescue Service and those who cannot go home and will do so as the day progresses.

"This is the third time our staff have stepped in to help people affected by fires in the past week and a half."

The spokesman also thanked firefighters for their hard work, and urged people to continue following the advice of the fire service.

They added: "Part of the city centre remains cordoned off at the moment but the rest of Canterbury is open and life is continuing as normal.”

The former department store has been sitting empty since Debenhams went into administration in 2020.

Plans for the building saw it rebranded as Guildhall Quarter as part of a £25 million redevelopment of the site.

The schemes would see it transformed into 12 new retail units with 74 flats above.

But five years on, the store remains a derelict eyesore, sparking fears it could have the same destiny as the old Nasons store opposite whose plans for a similar £30 million project are up in the air.

Works at both have been stalled by the issue of water pollution at the Stodmarsh Nature Reserve - Natural England has blocked schemes from proceeding until a solution is found to mitigate the impact of harmful nutrients contaminating local water sources.

The firms behind the development of the old Debenhams, 90North and property owner Chaucer Property Investments Ltd, have previously given assurances on their commitment to the plans.

To see the project through they must find an answer to the challenge, but said they were “working very hard to make that happen”.