Published by Robert L Senior Reporter on Wednesday, 13th November 2024, at 21:45hrs
The cause of the fire is now under joint investigation between Lancashire Police & Lancashire Fire & Rescue Service
Firefighters battled through the night to bring a major derelict building fire under control in Preston City Centre.
Appliances from across Lancashire rushed to the scene on Church Street shortly before 6:30pm on Tuesday evening. Flames could be seen raging from the building that was situated at the rear of a derelict building.
Senior Reporter Robert was at the scene and said:
“The area around the scene was cordoned off from Manchester Road down to Lancaster road, flames were raging from the buildings rooftop and smoke could be seen across the skies. One aerial ladder platform was fighting the fire from the rear of Shepherds Street, and another aerial ladder platform was fighting it from the front on Church Street.
Four fire engines were also in attendance with firefighters also fighting the fire from the ground level.
A large crowd of bystanders watched on as the dramatic scenes unfolded.”
Asking a bystander for some information on the building. The bystander said:
“The building has been empty for many years and is thought to be used by some of the city’s homeless. They didn’t know who owned the building but was aware it may have been sold recently or that the land adjacent to it allegedly had been.”
Search and Rescue dogs were dispatched into the building on Wednesday to search for any casualties.
Another bystander said:
“It’s becoming a regular occurrence in the city centre at the moment and that something is suspicious about these derelict building fires.”
Last week, six fire engines battled a blaze at St Joseph’s Orphange on Mount Street that engulfed the building on Bonfire Night. This is now under investigation.
A spokesperson for Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said earlier:
Firefighters used the aerial ladder platform and a thermal imaging camera to further monitor the fire, and at this time, no further hotspots have been found. The search dogs will be attending shortly. A further update stated that the incident is now closed.
Firefighters were in attendance for approximately 24 hours.
A spokesperson for Lancashire Police said:
“We were called to reports of a fire in a derelict building on Church Street, Preston.
Our officers and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service attended, with a cordon put in place.
A joint investigation is underway between the police and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service to establish the cause of the fire.
If you have any information that could help us in our enquiries, please call 101 quoting log 1197 of 12th November.”
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