Update with Video !! Wakefield Bakery fire, Second Major Blaze within hours for West Yorkshire.

The second major blaze for West Yorkshire followed at 4:15 pm today this time in the Wakefield station area. There seems to be some discrepancy as to how many appliances were called for but it's believed to be a MP x 15 and 2 aerial appliances. Once again the fire could be seen for over 20 miles away as the fire took hold of the Rathbones Bakery, part of the Morrison's group on the Wakefield 41 Industrial estate on the edge of the city. 

Video Link:   Aerial footage of the 15 pump fire at Morrison's Wakefield

Eye witnesses described the mass panic as lorry trailers were removed from loading bay areas, some alight from the internal fire. Bread trays lay strewn where they had fallen from the lorry trailers. During the early stages burning ash was seen coming down on roadways and properties around the main site. 

The Open yard area

From the viewpoint I had it seemed like this was a defensive operation with jets being used from outside the building. The roof of the building could be heard collapsing in, with this firefighter nearly missed by falling debris.

The main structure of the building was obviously crumbling from the intense heat with internal walls buckling and the exterior brickwork crumbling.

Bradford's CARP appliance attended to assist extinguishing hard to reach fires which remained within the building. A water relay was set up with a base pump from the A650 by the entrance to the Unit 41 Industrial Park.

This view taken from the main gates of the site shows a CARP and the buckled building behind. The incident was supported by crews attending from South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, an appliance can be seen leaving the scene.

Crews remain on the scene damping down tonight with investigations once the site has been made safe. Police closed off the route through the Industrial estate but was reopened once the fire was under control.

The main building has been gutted by the fire

At it’s height, 15 pumps and two aerial appliances were in attendance at the incident along with support units.

Stations attending throughout the incident include: Rothwell, Wakefield, Hunslet, Garforth, Rawdon, Castleford, Bradford, Killingbeck, Moortown, Stanningley, Mirfield, Morley, Normanton, Leeds, Ossett, Dewsbury and Fairweather Green.

Three pumps from Normanton, Wakefield, Dewsbury plus one aerial appliance from Leeds are still at the scene damping down.

Some members of staff at the depot were treated for smoke inhalation but no one was seriously injured. Fire investigators are working alongside partners to establish the cause of a fire at Rathbones, Stephenson Way, Wakefield, and West Yorkshire Police said they do not believe that the fire was caused deliberately.