Keighley mill fire was biggest blaze in West Yorkshire in past year

The Grade II listed mill, recently used as a film set for Downton Abbey and Peaky Blinders, went up in flames on March 4, leading to a huge response from firefighters across Yorkshire.

Now a West Yorkshire Fire Authority report has confirmed that the Dalton Mill fire led to the biggest fire fighting response of any blaze between April 2021 and April 2022.

Firefighters damping down the mill after the huge blaze

In total, 114 firefighters and eight officers attended between the start of the fire at noon on March 3 and when fire was deemed to be fully extinguished at 3.30pm on March 6.

A total of 21 fire engines were called to the scene, as were five specialist vehicles and five support vehicles in an attempt to stop the fire from spreading and save as much of the building as possible.

Fire engines lined up at the scene (Image: Newsquest)

The next biggest fire in that 12 month period was a huge blaze at a recycling centre in Ravensthorpe just a few days after the Dalton Mill blaze, on March 12.

That fire required 102 firefighters and 15 engines.

The report going before the Fire Authority details each fire that required at least six engines.

A drone image of the devastating flames at Dalton Mills in Keighley. Picture: Real Image Photography

There were 30 such fires in West Yorkshire in that period, a huge leap from 20 the previous year.

Other major blazes in that time period include a furniture business on Summerville Road, Bradford in May 2021, which was caused by a naked flame and required a response from 102 firefighters, and a fire at a tannery at Sheepscar in February that saw 52 firefighters attend.

Built in the 1860s, the mill was one of the largest in the area, and has been a Keighley landmark ever since.

As well as providing space for numerous businesses, the mill had also been a popular filming location in recent years.

A large chunk of period thriller The Limehouse Golem was filmed in and around the mill, and its Victorian splendour provided the backdrop to many popular TV shows.

The future of the huge building is uncertain. In some areas all that remains are the mill’s walls. However, Heritage England has said the damage is not so serious that it needs to be demolished for safety reasons. The heritage organisation is working with Bradford Council to determine the building’s future.

The fire was judged to have been caused deliberately, and five people were arrested after the blaze.

West Yorkshire Police have said these five people remain under investigation.