FIREFIGHTERS spent eight hours tackling a football pitch-sized blaze which caused “major damage” to a former mill housing dozens of businesses.

The fire was reported at midnight on Thursday at Yarrow Mill, Yarrow Road, Chorley.

It involved single-storey industrial units on a 100 metre by 50 metre former mill site.

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The building houses dozens of individual units and a boxing gym.

A fire service spokesman said they received more than a dozen calls reporting the incident as flames could be seen for some distance.

Crews from Chorley, Bamber Bridge, Leyland, Preston, Blackburn and Greater Manchester attended the scene.

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The initial response saw 25 firefighters arrive at the mill.

They first tackled the fire with hose reels from a distance after information was passed to them that oxyacetylene cylinders, which could cause a major explosion, could be on the premises.

A fire service spokesman, said: “The blaze was centred on three units in the centre of the mill building.

“Once the cylinders had been secured at around 2.30am, an aerial ladder platform was used to tackle the fire from above.

“Crews also entered the building to assist.

“The fire was extinguished at around 4.20am.”

He added there had been extensive damage to the building and roof.

There were no reported casualties.

Workers from the units arrived at dawn to begin the clear up and salvage stock.

Ben Tuson has run tiling company Artisan Ceramics from the unit for three years and employs five workers.

He said his unit had been ‘completely destroyed’.

He said: “We’re just trying to get the stock out now. It’s too early to say how we’ll manage.”

The fire service said an investigation had been launched into the cause of the fire but there were no indications it had been caused deliberately.