Residents in parts of Torquay have faced water supply disruptions and road closures following a major fire at the derelict Sherwood Hotel on Belgrave Road on Sunday, 5 April 2026. Emergency services were alerted to the blaze at approximately 1:50pm, which saw 14 crews and around 90 personnel from the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service work to bring the flames under control.
During the incident, South West Water reduced its network connection by 50 per cent to help manage the situation and allow for partial water supply restoration to residents in the TQ2 5 and TQ1 4 postcode areas. The building, which had suffered a separate fire just two days earlier on 3 April, experienced a complete roof collapse, creating significant hazards that prevented firefighters from gaining full entry to the property.
Due to the scale of the fire and the ongoing safety concerns, Belgrave Road remains closed in both directions from Falkland Road to the A379, Torbay Road. The road is expected to stay closed into Monday, 6 April 2026, to allow for fire investigation work. Local residents living near the hotel were also advised to keep all windows and doors closed to avoid health issues caused by smoke coming from the building.
The Devon and Cornwall Police are currently investigating the incident as a possible case of arson. Officers have appealed for anyone who may have witnessed the event or who holds relevant footage, such as CCTV or doorbell camera recordings, to contact the police by calling 101 and quoting log number 348 of 05/04/2026. The hotel has been a point of concern for local authorities for some time, having been issued a partial closure order in October 2025 after being described by police as an eyesore and a magnet for anti-social behaviour.
About this article: This story was put together with the help of AI tools and checked by a real person on our team. We're a small crew trying to cover as much of the UK as we can on a limited budget. We're getting better every day - but we're not perfect yet. If something looks off, let us know. You're part of the process.
