Man suffers head injuries after bank holiday boat fire on Lancaster Canal

Fire crews from Lancaster and Garstang, along with the water incident unit from Preston, responded to the boat blaze at 11am yesterday (May 25).

The boat caught fire whilst moored near Cabus Nook Lane, close to Greaves Farm Caravan and Camping Site.

Arriving at the scene, firefighters found a man on the towpath who had sustained head injuries and had been struggling to breathe due to smoke inhalation.

Paramedics attended and treated the man at the scene before taking him to hospital. No other injuries were reported.

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) said the cause of the fire is believed to have been accidental.

An LFRS spokesman said: "We attended a fire involving a boat on Cabus Nook Lane, Preston.

"Crews used two general purpose lines, one light portable pump, one jet, two hose reels and one ceiling hook to extinguish the fire.

"There was one casualty reported at the incident suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation and head injuries.

"They were left in the care of paramedics at the scene. Crews were in attendance approximately one hour and forty five minutes."

North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) confirmed that an ambulance had attended the scene, but said it was unable to provide details on the man's injuries.

An NWAS spokesman said: "I can see we attended to this area yesterday but as it is on a privately owned property, we are unable to provide you with more information."

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service has provided some helpful tips on how you can reduce the risk of fire on boats (see images).