Preston tower block fire gives reassurance of building safety in wake of Grenfell

Lancashire Fire and Rescue were alerted to a serious flat fire which started on the sixth floor of a 12-storey block on Birley Street at around 1.30pm on October 2.

Around 40 firefighters were called to the block in eight engines and were accompanied by two specialist fire engines including an Aerial Ladder Platform.

A spokesman for Lancashire fire service said: "The incident went well in terms of the operation. The fire was contained to one flat and smoke was prevented from reaching anyone.

"Thankfully as a result nobody suffered any injuries.

"It was a reassurance of our techniques and the work we have put in place ensuring the safety of tower blocks in the wake of the Grenfell tragedy.

"This was exactly how we would expect tower block fires to behave in Lancashire.

"The officer in charge was able to request extra fire personnel from the ground to assist with searches of the building to make sure everyone was well and no smoke breached their flats.

"A stay put policy was implemented and nobody was evacuated from their properties.

"Crews actually only used two hose reels and spent 45 minutes extinguishing and damping down the fire. The rest of the resources were in used to ensure the safety of the residents.

Firefighters say that the flat suffered severe smoke and some heat damage as a result of the fire.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.