Investigation continues into Higher Walton fire which saw engines attend for 12 hours amid gas explosion fears

Lancashire Fire and Rescue service say the investigation continues into a Higher Walton fire, which crews handled for 12 hours on Wednesday.

Lancashire Fire and Rescue service say the invesitgation into the cause of a fire in Higher Walton, which sparked fears of a gas explosion, remains ongoing.

Six fire engines from Preston, Penwortham, Bamber Bridge, Leyland, Chorley, Darwen and Blackburn, as well as an aerial ladder platform, attended the incident in Blackburn Road at around 9.40am on Wednesday (September 21).

The fire was brought under control, but as gas cylinders were present in the building, firefighters had to be in attendance for several hours to make the scene safe.

At 1:28pm, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said that drones were being used to assess the area, with no fire safety issues or injuries being identified.

Six crews attended the commercial property, which was later reduced to three.

Then at 2:00pm, the number of appliances has been reduced to one aerial ladder platform and three fire engines, with crews remaining to continue damping down the area.

After carrying out temperature checks throughout the evening, crews finally left the incident at 9:33pm, meaning they were in attendance for approximately 12 hours.

Overall, firefighters used four breathing apparatus, two jets, one hose reel, two ground monitors, a thermal imaging camera and an Aerial Ladder Platform to bring the fire under control.

A spokesperson for Lancashire confirmed that the incident is “still under investigation”, with no updates as of yet.

Drone images from the scene showed the roof suffered extensive damage in the blaze as plumes of smoke filled the air.

Roads in the surrounding area were also closed as emergency services tackled the fire, resulting in slow-moving traffic.