3 businesses destroyed in fire

A fire which broke out in a storage yard of a Chorley restaurant destroyed three neighbouring businesses.

The fire, which started in a storage yard behind the Amalfi Italian restaurant, destroyed the restaurant, Cash Converters, and a former Bon Marche store.

Tony Clements, Fire safety enforcement leader said: “As well as the obvious devastation, the road closures on Cleveland Street and High Street to both deal with the incidents and allow safe demolition caused major disruption for businesses and the town in general. Even a small fire in a commercial premise can be disastrous. In many cases the cause has been of an electrical nature with poor housekeeping being another major factor.”

It is thought that the fire started due to a fault in an electrical appliance or possibly as a result of a halogen light being left on

Mr Clements has urged local businesses to ensure they put wheelie bins at a safe distance from buildings to avoid the risk of fire.

Mr Clements said: “A fire in a wheeled bin may be undetected if in a back alley during the night until the adjacent building becomes involved.”

The remains of the buildings are currently being removed by demolition crews. It is not known if the businesses will be rebuilt or reopened.