FIRE crews are still at the Randolph Hotel this morning, with Beaumont Street expected to remain closed until at least tomorrow.

St Giles and Magdalen Street have both now been reopened, but drivers coming from the north are being advised to use alternative routes for journeys into the city.

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Firefighters continued to check the inside of the hotel for "hot spots" but there was also concern about the building’s front gable, a spokesman for Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said this morning. 

The fire at the hotel on Friday night has damaged the roof structure behind it and scaffolding is required to make the area safe.

Oxford Mail:

Crews closed Beaumont Street as the fire took hold on Friday, picture by Tony Steele 

The fire spokesman said: "Firefighters are still dealing with a few hot spots and the front gable of the building is potentially unsafe.

"That will require scaffolding to make sure it does not fall down on to the road."

Oxford Mail:

Firefighters would not be responsible for putting the scaffolding up, that is expected to be handled by a contractor for the hotel.

But crews are expected to remain at the scene and keep Beaumont Street closed until the area is safe. It is not expected to reopen until tomorrow morning at the earliest.

The massive blaze at the Randolph Hotel on Friday evening is believed to have been accidentally started in the building’s ground floor kitchen.

Oxford Mail:

More than 80 guests were evacuated and 70 firefighters were called to the scene to battle the flames

The fire had spread through the “voids” in the building up to its roof, fire incident commander Simon Furlong told a press conference, but no one was seriously hurt.

Fire investigators have now finished their examinations of the scene, but the fire spokesman declined to reveal the exact cause of the fire at this stage.