A restaurant in Marlow was forced to temporarily close after a fire broke out at a nearby house.

The town’s Cote Brasserie on West Street had to cancel its lunchtime service on Saturday, August 8 as a result of a blaze.

The fire in question impacted properties on the Brewery development, off Portlands Alley near West Street.

The fire department were in the area for several hours (Image: Local resident John)

As firefighters tackled the fire, the restaurant shut for its lunchtime guests before reopening at 4pm.

A spokesperson confirmed the restaurant was operating as normal again on Sunday, August 9.

One witness, Peter Golding, of Marlow, said the fire broke out at around midday and could be seen from across the town.

Mr Golding said he first noticed smoke rising into the sky while heading into the town centre.

"I saw some smoke and people were looking up at the sky, like something out of ET," he said.

The cause of the fire is not publicly known (Image: Peter Golding)

He said fire crews quickly arrived at the scene and that smoke could be seen spreading above the Brewery development.

"When I went into town shopping I could hear the sirens. There were three fire engines there," he said.

Mr Golding added that flames appeared to have spread across the roofs of neighbouring town houses.

The aftermath of the fire (Image: Lucas Gore)

"It is probably the first time I have seen a fire like that in Marlow.

"There was a little bit of drama and around 20 to 30 people had gathered to watch.

"You could see the smoke and flames coming up, although you couldn't really feel the intensity of the heat from where we were."

Another witness, John, said he noticed the smoke shortly after leaving Sainsbury's.

"We had come out of Sainsbury's and saw lots of smoke," he said.

"The fire brigade were there from both sides and the restaurant was evacuated."

He added the fumes appeared to drift across West Street and described the incident as concerning for nearby residents.

"They are not very old buildings.

"It would have caused a lot of damage and there will be a lot of work required."

A businessman based on West Street, who did not wish to be named, said he had "never seen anything like that" in Marlow before.

The house in question is near West Street (Image: Lucas Gore)

"There was a lot of smoke," he said.

Fire crews remained at the scene as they worked to bring the blaze under control.

Cote Brasserie said the temporary closure only affected its lunchtime service and that everything was later brought back under control.

Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service has been contacted for further information.

Have you been affected by the fire or do you have photos from the scene? Contact the newsroom.