'Towering inferno' as neighbours evacuated

Dec 1 2008 by David Himelfield, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

A DERELICT house became a towering inferno sparking an evacuation operation yesterday.

Neighbours at Midland Street, Hillhouse, were forced to leave their homes as huge flames gutted an empty property on the street at around 3pm.

Nobody was injured, but neighbours were evacuated as the fire spread to an adjacent terrace.

Fire crews from Huddersfield, Brighouse, Elland and Dewsbury, equipped with an aerial platform and breathing apparatus, fought into the night to extinguish the flames.

Crews used high pressure hoses to break through the roof.

A mobile fire command centre was on hand to direct the operation while police secured the scene.

The blaze destroyed the roof and first floor of the property and caused massive damage to the ground floor.