A Birmingham business has said it is heartbroken after a major fire destroyed years of “dedication and hard work”. Shocking images show the aftermath of the Birmingham Industrial Estate blaze which hit a number of businesses on Wednesday (July 17), including a music business and the city’s music group IO Earth.
The fire broke out at Hastingwood Industrial Estate, Wood Lane, Erdington at around 3.20pm on Wednesday, sparking a major 999 response which included 100 firefighters on 13 fire engines, four brigade response vehicles and two hydraulic platforms.
Huge plumes of smoke were seen for miles around at the back of The Fort shopping centre. IO Earth told BirminghamLive: “As you will know, the fire has gutted several buildings on the site, and our studio and rehearsal space were located close to the centre of the fire.”
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Formed in 2009 by Dave Cureton and Adam Gough, IO Earth describe themselves as a “self-funded, totally independent, seminal British progressive rock band”. Music bosses said the fire had left them “deeply saddened” as they picked up the pieces in the aftermath of the blaze.
The band and company have since launched a fundraiser as they navigate the “catastrophic event” that left them without a livelihood.
IO Earth continued: “After three days of anxiety and uncertainty, we were finally allowed to go on site on Saturday 20th July to assess the damage. We are heartbroken to report that our building has been demolished and 16 years of dedication and hard work has been lost.
“All of our musical instruments, recording equipment, merchandise, CDs and hard drives containing our previous albums have been completely destroyed. This loss is immeasurable and we are deeply saddened by the destruction of our creative space and the tangible remains of our musical journey.”
West Midlands Fire Service investigators said the cause of the fire was believed to be accidental and “electrical in nature”. Read the fire service’s full statement here.
You can find the band’s Gofundme page here.
