Council rejects housing plan for former Dacre Banks millAnother fire at Birstwith factory

Firefighters from Harrogate and Knaresborough used breathing apparatus to tackle a factory fire in Birstwith.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service was alerted to reports of a fire in a flour drying unit measuring 60 metres x 20 metres at Kerry Ingredients at 12.29pm yesterday.

Its incident report said:

“The fire caused 30% fire damage and 50% smoke damage to the drying unit only.

“The cause of the fire was overheating product in the dryer. Crews used two breathing apparatus, one hose reel jet, a thermal imaging camera, a triple extension ladder and small tools to deal with the incident.”

It is not the first time firefighters have been called to the three-storey former mill.

In August last year, Ripon and Knaresborough crews used breathing apparatus to tackle a blaze in a drying plant.

The cause of the incident was not revealed.


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