A large number of Breathing apparatus crews were deployed from entry points around the building and at one stage viewing from Green Lane overlooking the scene the fire looked to be well in hand.
But then came the call for all fire crews to evacuate the building due to a rapidly spreading fire, placing firefighters lives in danger. At this time all staff working in the mill were out of the building.
The incident was then made 25 Pumps as the fire situation worsened and the levels of smoke increased, with a cloud spreading over the surrounding area. There were concerns about the levels of carbon Monoxide in the smoke and local residents were evacuated from there homes.
One firefighter, who was inside the Grade II listed four-storey Mill in Lumb Lane, said he had not seen such a dangerous and frightening situation in more than 25 years as a firefighter. He said that the fire had been smouldering when flames suddenly flashed across the roof and towards him and several colleagues. Parts of the premises started to collapse as the fire raged, with all operations now taking on a defensive mode to protect surrounding properties.
All surrounding roads were closed, Police officers were being brought in from Halifax and as far away as Wakefield to stand on the cordons that were in place.
Parts of the five storey section started to collapse with all floors having been burnt away. All you could hear was the sound of falling debris and the rushing noise of the fire.
It wasn't much longer before the walls of the five storey section collapsed inward with this image showing the event. The mill had stood on the site since it was opened in 1856 but yesterdays fire has brought all this to a close.
In Lumb lane at the front of Drummonds Mill, crews were still tackling the fire using hand held jets and ground monitors. Hoses were used to dampen properties opposite the mill due to the radiated heat and burning embers being given off.
The roof of the front section collapsed in and fire raged from floors underneath. The strong winds didn't help and fanned the flames. A Combined aerial Appliance was used to tackle this.
The incident was reduced overnight to 5 pumps and damping down continues at the site. A structural engineer has attended from the local council to check stability of any remaining buildings on the fireground. An investigation into the cause of the fire will commence once it is safe to do so.
Thank you to:
Refreshments were provided on the fireground by RRT (Rapid Relief Team). This was a much needed resource and provided warm / cold drinks and food for the emergency services. The Rapid Relief Team is a volunteer, not-for-profit organisation, set up to support local communities in times of need; We do this by serving food and drinks to emergency services personnel, helping out at homeless missions and support work for other charities.
Visit there website and see all the good work that is going on at
Visit the web page at http://www.rapidreliefteam.org/
The core service of RRT is to provide quality catering and refreshments efficiently. This benevolent relief is offered to persons in need with compassion and care by our teams of willing volunteers.
Appliances attended from around the brigade area with some of those being resilience pumps.
Appliances known to have attended were: Bradford (2), Bingley, Keighley, Silsden, Shipley, Idle, Cleckheaton, Illingworth, Morley, Halifax, Rawdon, Fairweather Green (Pump and Command Unit lite), Raistrick, Stanningley (Pump and Hose Layer), Pontefract (Pump and Command Unit), Dewsbury, Leeds, Wakefield, Cookridge, Featherstone, Normanton, Huddersfield, Slaithwaite, Rothwell, Killingbeck, Mirfield (Pump and Hose Layer), Odsal (Pump and Logistic Support Unit) and Garforth.
Statement issued by West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service:
'Relief crews remain at the scene of Lumb Lane, Manningham this morning following yesterday’s major mill fire, which started just after 11.20am.
'At its height 25 fire engines and more than 125 firefighters attended the scene and have been praised by fire chiefs for their determined efforts to bring the inferno under control and prevent it spreading to nearby buildings in the locality.
'Around 100 people living in surrounding properties and from local businesses were evacuated due to carbon monoxide levels in the area.
'They are today being allowed back to their homes.
'Fortunately no members of the public have been injured as a result of the fire and neither have any firefighters.
'This morning seven fire engines remain at the scene damping down as senior officers work alongside Bradford Council and their structural engineers, considering potential demolition of the significantly damaged building.
'Temporary Assistant Chief Fire Officer Ian Bitcon said: “The fire was initially in the basement of a building which was part of the mill complex.
“By nature basement fires are incredibly difficult to tackle because there is nowhere for the heat and smoke to go.
“Firefighters were committed into this incredibly arduous and high risk environment and worked courageously to stop the fire spreading to the rest of the mill. “Despite their determined efforts the fire broke out and spread very quickly to the adjacent mill buildings. “Throughout my entire career I can honestly say I have never seen firefighters work as hard as they did to try and knock this fire back.”
'As the blaze spread to the four storey mill building (adjacent to Lumb Lane) and a five storey building at the rear of the site, officers made the tactical decision to remove crews from inside for their own safety.
'From this point the fire was fought from the outside with priority being prevention of further spread to nearby properties, including Green Lane School.
'Temp ACO Ian Bitcon added: "This fire was ferocious and the intense heat at close proximity was stifling.
"The height of the fire was at around 3pm and it was under control by 10.30pm, and it is thanks to the firefighters that did not spread elsewhere.
'"The building has suffered significant damage and structural collapse, so our priority today is working alongside our partners to determine the next steps." 'The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
'The public is still advised to use caution today and stay away from the area if possible as there are still smoke plumes - keep windows closed if possible.'
