Gaza Timber rallied by support after serious fire

At the height of the 19-hour fire, some 10 firecrews from across Kent, Surrey and London attended the scene, which affected four building at the company’s Gaza Trading Estate operation in Hildenborough.

Owners Martin and Simon Lucas told news site KentLive that an estimated £100,000 of stock has been lost in the fire, but that timber stocks had not been affected. He said they decided to stay open for businesses because of the unaffected timber stocks.

They posted a message on Gaza Timber’s Facebook page, admitting they were devastated by the blaze but “determined” to carry on trading and thanking customers for their strong support.

“Thanks to all our suppliers who are really rooting for us. As many of you have said we will come back better and stronger.”

“We still have all our sawn timber, lots of sheet materials, aggregates, some mouldings and PAR so please come on down. Thank you so much for your all kind offers of help and support. It means a lot to us to know we have so many good friends.”

They thanked firecrews for managing to stop the blaze from spreading on the site.

The cause of the fire isn't yet known but an investigation is taking place.