Investigation underway after fire at Warburtons factory

Tuesday, 5 May 2026 10:17

By Central Radio News

An investigation is underway after a major fire at the Warburtons factory in Burnley.

Firefighters from across Lancashire were called the bread factory on Billington Road, Burnley, at 2.45pm yesterday.

At its height there were twelve fire engines and two aerial ladder platforms in attendance.

Warburton’s has confirmed that everyone was safely evacuated from a huge blaze this afternoon, with firefighters saying there were no injuries.

Lancashire Fire area manager Phil Jones said: “The fire started at approximately a quarter to three (on Monday) afternoon and involved one of the production lines at the site.

“At the height of the incident we had twelve fire engines in attendance and several specialist appliances. We were also supported by colleagues from the police and ambulance service and on site staff.

“We will be in attendance for the foreseeable future and there are several cordons in place. We also ask members of the public to not fly their own drones as this can prevent us flying fire service drones.

“There have been no injuries and the incident is under investigation.”

A spokesperson for Warburtons said: "We can confirm that thankfully everyone has safely been evacuated from the building.

"We are grateful to the fire brigade who are currently working extremely hard to get the fire under control. We don't know the cause of the fire, or the full extent of the damage as yet."

Six fire engines and an aerial ladder platform remain at the scene this morning as pockets of fire are still burning inside the fire.

Firefighters are working with on site teams to extinguish the fire and mitigate any impact on neighbouring properties and roads.