Bradford furniture warehouse fire causes power cut
- Published
People have been urged to avoid Legrams Lane area where the fire broke out
A huge fire at a three-storey furniture warehouse forced residents to leave their homes and cut power to business and residential properties.
Large flames and plumes of smoke emanated from the building next to a mill complex on Legrams Lane, Bradford.
The fire service said it started just before 02:45 BST and at its height, 18 engines tackled the blaze.
Up to 30 people were evacuated from flats and other nearby residents were told to keep windows and doors shut.
Power was lost to about 130 homes and businesses in the area but restored by mid-morning, Bradford Council said.
Power to nearby businesses was lost and local residents were told to stay indoors
At the scene
By Corinne Wheatley, BBC News
There's still smoke rising from the complex of businesses just off Legrams Lane, but it seems to be dying down.
At one of the police cordons, a local business owner was waiting anxiously this morning. His premises are right next to the furniture warehouse and he doesn't know exactly how much damage has been done to the building and his stock.
Other business owners in the area said they weren't too worried when they saw smoke on their way in, but arrived to find they had no electricity and couldn't open.
They all say the timing couldn't be worse. This is the week when they hoped trading would return to normal.
There is a cordon in the area and roads surrounding the building are affected
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The authority said one primary school had been affected and was closed for the day.
The fire service said the blaze, which it initially said was in a furniture factory, was in a warehouse storing furniture and food and that is had now been brought under control.
It added that it was no longer being treated as a major incident but that a number of roads in the area remained closed.
Twelve fire engines plus two aerial ladder platforms remain at the scene
Samir Kade, who owns nearby Bombay Stores, said the timing of the fire could not have been worse given that business "was just starting to pick up".
"It's devastating really," he said.
Samir Kade, who owns nearby Bombay Stores, said the fire could not have happened at a worse time
"On our restaurant side of things, we just opened on Monday and we've got bookings and reservations. We've got customers expecting to be in today and obviously can't be.
"That's lost business and something we will never recover," he added.
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