Fire in the centre of Caen burns local restaurant to the ground

For inhabitants of Caen's place Saint-Sauveur, last night will be a memorable one. Gustave, a restaurant on the square, now stands like a skeletal shadow of its former self.

A fire of towering proportions

Images depicting the fire show how dramatic an event it was. Over fifty firefighters were called upon to put out the flames, with a total of six hoses being used. The fire brigade fought the flames throughout the night and into the early hours of the morning. The building was then kept under surveillance until the afternoon, with parts of the square being closed off to pedestrians for the first few hours of the day.

Around twenty residents were evacuated from neighbouring houses as the fire was brought under control.

The cause of the fire remains unknown

It isn't clear what started the fire and a police investigation into the incident is expected to take place. Despite the dramatic images and the quantity of damage caused to the building, there were no injuries to account for.

In the meantime, locals can only mourn the disappearance of this well-liked local business, as its twin, the Monsieur Louis restaurant, looks on from further down the square.