Radcliffe: Owner 'dodged a bullet' after fire broke out

Emergency services were called to Pioneer Mill on Milltown Street in Radcliffe at around 9.15pm on Wednesday night.

Fire units from six stations were sent to the incident.

Firefighters from Bury and Whitefield brought the blaze under control by around 10.30.

A crew manager said a potential spread was prevented by their swift action.

Neil Filton, who owns NFR Fabrications where the fire broke out, said there was a £25,000 Formula One stock car inside, but other than a tyre it was undamaged by the blaze.

Mr Filton said: "It broke out with the welding.

"The welding caught fire.

"It then went onto the petrol.

"There was a bit of petrol spilt.

"We just got a bit complacent.

"It then went onto the racing car where the tyre was struck.

"We threw a fire blanket over it but it went up in flames.

"There was a gas cannister with petrol there. After that we had to get out.

"I thought it was going to explode but it did not.

"The car is worth £25,000 but only the tyre was damaged. I had dodged a bullet.

"Normally if I have my van, there is a fire extinguisher and we used to have one on the wall.

"Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

"I have been here 25 years, I am a bit embarrassed.

"The fire service were here within six minutes, you can't complain."

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Crew manager Clive Hopkinson, from Whitefield Fire Station, said: "We were called at about 9.15pm.

"It was at a unit of multiple occupancy so it had potential to spread.

"The key point to stress is that the initial actions of Whitefield and Bury attended and stopped it being a catastrophe."