Warburtons fire: 'I’m available to airlift anyone to the hospital' says 'Bank of Dave' Fishwick
Bank of Dave’s Dave Fishwick was on hand in the skies in his helicopter to offer help at scene of Warburton’s fire in Lancashire.
A millionaire offered to airlift evacuated staff from a fire at a bread factory in Lancashire, as he shared footage of the blaze captured from his helicopter.
Minibus magnate Dave Fishwick, who inspired Netflix’s Bank of Dave film after setting up his own bank, spotted the fire at a Warburtons site in Burnley on Monday afternoon.
After seeing smoke coming from the roof of the Billington Road factory, the banker alerted the fire service before offering his help in a TikTok video.
Twelve fire engines and two aerial ladder platforms were sent to tackle the blaze, after crews were called to the scene at 2.45pm, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said.
The public was advised by the fire service to close windows and doors if they could see or smell smoke, asked to stay away from the area and told not to fly drones.
A spokesperson for the family-owned bakery brand said everyone was safely evacuated from the building, adding that the cause of the fire and the extent of the damage are not yet known.
In a video shared by Fishwick on TikTok, taken from his helicopter, huge plumes of smoke could be seen rising from the centre of the large building.
Speaking from the cockpit, Fishwick said: “We’re just above Burnley, just flying over, and I hope everybody’s OK – there’s a huge fire, just down there, look at that.
“It’s unbelievable how big the fire is. I just hope everybody’s alright. I’m going to call the fire brigade now and just make sure they know about it.
“The big factory roof looks like it’s going up. It looks like it’s Warburtons, Warburtons factory, going up in flames.”
Fishwick contacted the fire service from the sky, which he says were already en route to the incident when he called.
Praising Burnley’s “fantastic” emergency services, he added: “Give me a call if you need anybody airlifting.”
In the video’s caption, Fishwick wrote: “I’m available to airlift anyone to the hospital. Send me a DM (direct message).”