Alert over derelict building fire

A fire at a landmark building in Lincolnshire has prompted a warning from the emergency services.

The fire and rescue service was called to Fisher Seed and Grain on Northolme Road in Louth on Monday afternoon.

A fire in a grain silo at the derelict building had caused a large column of smoke over the town.

While no one was hurt, fire officers said it underlined the potential dangers of such incidents to the public and emergency crews.

Dangerous places

Skegness Station Manager, Neil Bunch said, "There were quite a few calls about this because there was a lot of smoke initially and it is one of the highest buildings in the locality, it looked quite dramatic.

"When we attended the incident we found an assortment of pallets, plastic sheeting and old grain bags alight in the bottom of one of the disused grain silos."

The incident comes as the county's fire crews are highlighting the danger of fires in derelict buildings.

In the past two years, officers have been called to almost a 150 fires in disused properties.

Community Fire safety Officer Dave Brocklesby said blazes in old industrial buildings were particularly dangerous.

"You have potentially got chemicals in there, you have got asbestos construction, you have got fire hazards and trip hazards.

"And bear in mind that a lot of these high rise buildings have got holes and trap doors in the floor from level to level and if you fell through one of those you probably wouldn't survive."

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