We were woken up early on Sunday morning by the sound of ambulances and fire engines rushing past our house. Only later did we discover what the problem was. The pretty market town of Kirkby Lonsdale sits on the boundary of the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District, a few minutes drive from our house. Its interesting shops and cafes draw visitors from far and wide.
Sadly, as the town was preparing for its pre-Christmas busy period and was half-way through its popular Christmas Fair, a fire broke out in apartments above some of the shops on the narrow main street.
The fire, which killed one person, spread quickly and was attended by 10 fire engines and 75 fire-fighters from across Cumbria and Lancashire. They managed to contain it despite difficult access and, as the water main couldn't keep up with demand, having to pump water from the nearby River Lune.
Since then the town has been effectively shut. Several buildings where the fire broke out were so badly damaged that they are now being demolished and there isn't much prospect of the town returning to normal any time soon.
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Fire engines squeeze down the main street
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Fighting the fire at the height of the blaze
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The Old Market Hall at the centre of the fire
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Demolition work begins
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Aerial photo showing the extent of the damage as demolition gets underway
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