Dramatic drone footage of huge warehouse blaze released

Firefighters from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service attended a fire in Birtley late on Monday evening (7th) and due to the enormity of the blaze a total of 10 fire engines attended.

Dramatic footage of the blaze has been released of the fire which took more than four days and 60 firefighters to put it out.

Speaking on Thursday, Chief Fire Officer Chris Lowther praised TWFRS staff for their efforts in keeping the community safe.

He said “It’s been an incredibly tough four days for our operational crews and staff but I couldn’t be more proud of the way they have stepped up to the challenge.

“It’s not often that incidents like this happen in our region but I hope that this response shows our local communities that we will always be there when they need us.

“This is why we practice and test our skills, because when things like this happen we are quick into action and know what needs doing.

“I also want to thank our partners who have helped us throughout the four day effort, working so closely and sharing knowledge is key in situations like this and without them it would have been incredibly difficult.”

An investigation is now underway into the incident, with Northumbria Police treating the incident as a suspected arson.