A “severe” fire has ripped through the thatched roof of a Black Country restaurant.
At its height, over 50 firefighters tackled the blaze at Hickory’s Smokehouse in Wall Heath, Dudley.
Guests from the adjacent Kingfisher Hotel were evacuated after the restaurant caught fire just after 02:00 BST.
The restaurant, which opened less than a year ago, tweeted that nobody was injured in the fire.
The A449 Kidderminster Road has been closed, causing severe traffic delays in the area.
It is shut in both directions between the A4101 Lodge Lane junction and the B4178 Swindon Road junction.
Crews from across the county were called in to tackle the fire, said West Midlands Fire Service.
Nearby residents have been told to keep their windows shut.
Messages of support have flooded in for the restaurant on social media. One read: “Loved the food, sure we’ll see you guys back up and running asap!”
Original source: BBC News