Rope rescue team called to tackle rubbish fire in Preston

Firefighters from Preston went to Deepdale Road following initial reports that a large amount of smoke could be seen near a railway line at about 6.30pm on Monday.

Crews discovered the smoke was coming from underneath a disused railway bridge, close to Burrow Road.

Watch manager Barry Hornsby said: “We had to use a rope rescue kit - basically we had to dangle somebody from ropes off the bridge to access it.

“It was a pile of rubbish that somebody had set on fire deliberately.”

Three fire engines and a specialist rope rescue team were involved in tackling the blaze, and police were also at the scene.

Watch manager Hornsby said the bank was “totally overgrown” with a steep drop, and said a rope rescue team was the “only safe option”.

Firefighters were at the scene approximately 40 minutes.