Arson probe into mill blaze
AHUGE fire which destroyed a Rochdale mill is being treated as arson.
Police say several teenagers were seen leaving Proofings Mill in Littleborough about 20 minutes before the blaze broke out on Saturday afternoon.
Dozens of firefighters were called to the three storey building off Hare Hill Road at about 4.30pm and battled the flames throughout the night.
A dozen nearby properties had to be evacuated as the fire raged.
Residents were allowed back into their homes at around 10pm.
People living nearby were also urged to keep doors and windows closed to prevent smoke from filling their homes.
The fire was almost out by Sunday morning, but there were still hotspots to be tackled.
Hare Hill Road was closed as firefighters arrived. It was reopened on Monday morning.
About 80 per cent of the mill collapsed as a result of the blaze.
Speaking from the scene on Sunday David Roach, watch manager at Chadderton fire station, said: “Our crews have done a fantastic job at this incident, and it has been a real team effort to get to the stage that we are at now. Firefighters have worked tirelessly to put the fire out with minimal disruption to the local community.”
Launching an appeal for witnesses Sgt Richard Price said it was ‘astounding’ no-one had been hurt in the fire.
He added: “The scale of the fire was significant.
“The local community were disrupted by this incident and I’m hoping that someone in the crowd knows something about how the fire started.
“If you have any detail, no matter how small, that you think could help with our investigation, please share this with us as a matter of urgency.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 0161 856 8549 or 101, quoting incident number 1669 of March 24, or at Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.