UK filming site used for shows Downton Abbey, Peaky Blinders goes up in flames
TV show production teams aren't having an easy time of it these days. Many incidents have been reported recently where well-known TV shows have been robbed of props or equipment and now, one set has gone up in flames. A set location in West Yorkshire, a town mostly seen in TV shows Downton Abbey and Peaky Blinders, caught fire on Thursday. Known as Dalton Mills, the old factory was used by production teams hoping to depict the Victorian-era.
According to Variety, the fire broke on Thursday afternoon at the location that was used as a filming site for the final season of Peaky Blinders. The incident was confirmed by the local authorities, the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service. "We currently have fire engines and specialist units in attendance at a fire at Dalton Mills, Keighley. There is a lot of smoke in the area and residents are advised to keep doors/windows closed. Please avoid travelling through the area," they posted on their website.
"We have 20+ appliances in attendance at a fire in Dalton Mill in Keighley," wrote the fire department, adding and that "100 per cent" of the building was affected by the fire.
PM Breaking News shared clips from the site on Twitter and wrote, "Firefighters are battling a massive blaze at Dalton Mills, a mill complex used as a filming location for shows 'Peaky Blinders' and ‘Downton Abbey’, in Keighley, West Yorkshire."
An eyewitness told BBC Radio, "As we passed there was smoke coming out and then we started seeing flames coming from the bottom floor of the mill. Within minutes it was an inferno. It was really bad. It was intense, flames coming out from everywhere. We could feel the heat from where we were parked, perhaps 200 or 300 yards away."
This isn't the first time that Dalton Mills has caught fire. According to BBC, the location was ablaze in 2011 by copper thieves as they tried to burn off insulation to steal metal. That year, TV show Downton Abbey filmed its second season in Oxfordshire.
The reason behind the recent fire hasn't been revealed. Authorities confirmed nobody was hurt but the roof of the building has collapsed.
The Victorian building was constructed in 1869 and was once said to be the largest textile mill of Yorkshire. After the 2011 fire, it was restored in 2015 and ever since has been seen in many shows and films, including Bill Nighy's The Limehouse Golem.
