Huge blaze tears through Bradford warehouse
15 fire engines have attended a major warehouse fire at the Gordon Rhodes & Son site on Chase Way in Bradford.
The fire broke out late last night (9 August), with an emergency call recorded at the West Yorkshire Fire Service emergency control room at 10.10pm.
Around 80 firefighters battled to get hold of the fire overnight and throughout the day after it came under control at 4am this morning.
The building was extensively damaged and the warehouse had collapsed in parts due to the heat, making it unsafe for firefighters to enter the building. Remaining pockets of the fire are currently being extinguished using jets and the aerial reach engine.
The 21,000 sq ft site was used to store flour, seeds, herbs and spices.
Fire officers are in contact with the owner of the building, who has been helping crews salvage office equipment from the ground floors, which were the least damaged areas.
A structural engineer over the future of the building and a fire investigator will be looking into the cause of the fire, as it is unclear how it began.
The incident comes less than 24 hours after a separate large scale incident, also attended by 15 fire engines, in Southgate, Halifax, which broke out in the early hours of August 9, the cause of which is still under investigation by the Fire Service.
Deputy chief fire officer Dave Walton said: “It has been a busy couple of days for the Fire Service and I am very proud of the determined efforts and professionalism of all of our crews who have all worked very hard.
“Fortunately neither of the fires has caused any harm to members of the public or our firefighters.
“The fire overnight in Bradford has been incredibly challenging for crews who worked tirelessly to try and prevent it from spreading. However, as the building is now structurally unsafe we will not put them at any risk by sending crews inside.
“We would also like to thank partner agencies and blue light services who have also been swift to support us in our response to these large scale incidents.”
The road is open but with limited access. Fire crews are expected to be on site all day.
