A massive blaze has lit up an iconic Grade-II listed building.
The fire has engulfed the Big Mill, on Mill Street in Leek, Staffordshire.
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service are on the scene to battle the fire.
A fire service spokesman said: "We have six crews and an aerial ladder platform at the scene of a large fire at The Big Mill, Mill Street, Leek."
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The emergency services are also warning people to stay away.
Staffordshire Police have said for those who have been forced to evacuate from their property should head to the Co-op on West Street, Leek, for support.
Locals are warned not to drive near the blaze as "this is making things more difficult".
The fire service added to keep windows and doors closed if you are driving in the area.
Locals have been told to stay away from the surrounding area | FACEBOOK/THIS IS LEEK STAFFORDSHIRE
A Staffordshire Fire Service spokesman previously said: "We have multiple crews in attendance at an incident at the Big Mill, Mill Street, where we are responding to a building fully alight."
A council report last year revealed that the property was unoccupied, but planned to redevelop.
The building had received planning permission to be redeveloped into 34 flats.
The Big Mill, constructed in 1857 and designed by William Sugden served as the centre of the silk industry.
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It served as the base for Wardle and Davenport, which employed up to 2,500 people in the area.
The building was first listed by Historic England in 1972.
It is described by the organisation as a "important example of large-scale building for the silk industry".
"It is also a good example of the mill-style developed by William Sugden, the leading mill architect at work in Leek at this time," Historic England, the public body responsible for preserving historic buildings, added.
Leek served as a centre for Britain's silk industry, with both the Wellington Mill and Big Mill listed on Historic England
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The A523 Macclesfield Road, which connects to Mill Street, has been "blocked in both directions due to a building fire from Church Street to Churnet Way".
Locals have expressed sadness on social media in reaction to the dramatic scenes.
One local businessowner said: "Very sad to see, can't believe it would even set alight, it must be so damp."
And another Leek local said: "That's going to come down tonight."
A woman from Brown Edge, a village around five miles from Leek, shared photo of the fire illuminating the sky.
GB News has contacted Staffordshire Police and Staffordshire Fire and Rescue for updates.