Fire Breaks Out on Downton Abbey, Peaky Blinders Set

A fire has broken out at Dalton Mills, Keighley in Yorkshire, U.K. The facility often hosts production for shows such as Peaky Blinders, Downton Abbey and more.

The West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service announced, “We currently have fire engines & specialist units in attendance at a fire at Dalton Mills, Keighley. There is a lot of smoke in the area & residents are advised to keep doors/windows closed. Please avoid travelling through the area.” It later added, “We have 20+ appliances in attendance at a fire in Dalton Mill in Keighley. 100% of building involved in fire. Hose reel jets & aerial ladder platform in use. Appliances from neighbouring brigades are also in attendance. Partner agencies in attendance – Police, Ambulance, Yorkshire Water and Environment Agency.” Images of the fire have surfaced thanks to news cameraman Malik Walton.

It has been reported that over 100 firefighters have been dispatched to tend to the fire. It is currently unknown how the blaze began and what the true extent of the damage is. Bradford Council has stated that, while the fire is still being tackled, residents around the area can return to their homes. The council had previously provided shelter for residence at a leisure center.

A West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson has confirmed that nobody has been hurt in the fire and described the situation as “challenging.” He elaborated, “Internally the building has collapsed, the floor and the roof.” While the situation is gradually being scaled back, it has been reported that firefighters will have to continue working through the night to extinguish the fire.

Dalton Mills has helped the Yorkshire region develop in terms of filmmaking. Screen Yorkshire executive Richard Knight said of the inferno, “A sad loss to the Yorkshire film-making landscape… It’s one of those amazing locations that is like a destination in its own right… It’s got the kind of provenance and scale that could attract film-makers from far and wide.”

Built in 1869, Dalton Mills was, at one point, the largest textile mill in Yorkshire and employed 2,000 people. This is not the first major fire in recent memory, as a fire broke out in 2011. That blaze was attributed to copper thieves who lit the fire to burn off insulation.

Beyond Season 1 of Peaky Blinders and Downton Abbey, the complex has housed production for shows such as The Great Train Robbery, Gunpowder and To Walk Invisible. It has also been the location in which films such as The Limehouse Golem have been produced.