Dave Fishwick spots Warburtons fire from helicopter in Burnley

Dave Fishwick spotted a large fire at the Warburtons factory in Burnley from his helicopter and alerted the police and fire service. He said on Facebook from the aircraft that he had called both services after seeing smoke rise from the Billington Road industrial estate at about 14:45 BST.

Fishwick, 55, said: "I'm flying over Burnley and there's a huge fire down there..." He added: "I hope everybody is OK. It's unbelievable how big the fire is." Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said 12 crews were tackling the blaze.

Billington Road industrial estate

Fishwick also said: "I better call the fire brigade now and a just make sure they know about it." He described the roof as appearing to be on fire and said: "The big factory roof looks like it is going up. It looks like it is Warburtons."

Warburtons said the building had been safely evacuated. The company said the cause of the fire and the extent of the damage were not yet known. The service later advised people nearby to keep windows and doors closed while crews worked at the scene.

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service

The fire sent a plume of smoke hundreds of feet into the air, and the response was still under way by about 21:00, when Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said it would remain at the site for the foreseeable future. The service also asked people not to fly drones near the fire because they could interfere with its own drones surveying the scene.

Fishwick, who founded Burnley Savings and Loan in 2011 and became widely known after the 2023 release of Bank of Dave, was able to report the blaze as it developed from the air. For people at or near the bakery site, the practical position remained the same by nightfall: stay clear of the area, keep windows shut if advised, and expect crews to remain on scene.