A major catastrophe in Chorley town centre was only narrowly averted when a fire destroyed a chip shop and threatened to spread to several adjoining businesses.
The Guardian can reveal for the first time the full extent of the drama that totally destroyed the Market Plaice chip shop, in Market Place, on Saturday, as the temperature touched 1,000C.
Hundreds of shoppers and market traders watched in horror as more than 20 firefighters risked being engulfed in a fireball as adjoining properties had to be evacuated.
Firemen say the fact they were able to get to the scene within six minutes of the alarm being raised probably prevented a major incident.
Amazingly nobody was injured but the damage is set to run into hundreds of thousands of pounds.
The Market Plaice chip shop was totally gutted while staff at the adjoining Brown's Butchers had to throw away around £15,000 of meat that was contaminated by smoke.
- For more on rhis story, pick up a copy of this week's Chorley Guardian
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