Bilsdale fire: still no news on when TV signal will be restored

Some people in the Harrogate district are still without a TV signal after Tuesday’s fire at the Bilsdale mast near Helmsley.

The fire left about 500,000 homes in the north east without TV and radio signal.

Some TV channels and BBC Radio Tees channels had been restored to homes last night. However, Arqiva, the communications company that operates the mast said it was still unsure when all channels would return.

A statement sent to the Stray Ferret said:

“The task to reinstate all the services that were available is a complex one and we are working hard to get as many services back up as quickly as we can.

“We are assessing all options open to us but the process is a gradual one. We apologise for the inconvenience but ask that you bear with us as our teams work hard to deliver solutions for as many people as possible as quickly and safely as we can.”

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A cordon is still in place sealing off land within 300 metres of the mast whilst engineers ensure the tower is structurally secure.

When this is done, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service will return to begin the process of investigating the cause of the fire.

The fire service said:

“At this time there is nothing to suggest that the fire is the result of any criminal activity but this cannot be confirmed until a closer examination has been carried out.”

Eight fire crews tackled the blaze at the 315-metre mast.

Bilsdale fire: Harrogate district homes face indefinite TV problems

Many homes in the Harrogate district are still without a TV signal following yesterday’s Bilsdale transmitter fire.

Freeview TV and FM radio signals in about one million homes in North Yorkshire, Teesside and County Durham were affected and almost 24 hours on it is still not known when the situation will be resolved.

Eight fire crews tackled the blaze at the 315-metre mast near Helmsley yesterday afternoon.

Stray Ferret readers quickly got in touch to report the issue had affected television coverage in the Bilton area of Harrogate as well as in the north of the Harrogate district.

Communications company Arqiva, which operates the transmitter, tweeted today it was still assessing the extent of the damage:

“The fire at our Bilsdale mast site is under control and we can confirm that there were no injuries or casualties. TV and radio services remain off air from the site.

“Our teams are currently mobilising temporary equipment to site however we are unable to provide specific timelines for restoration of any services at this point.”

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service has said it will return to the site today to bring the incident to a “safe conclusion”.

A 300m exclusion zone was put in place around the mast and concerns about its structural integrity were reported.

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