Blaze costs leather factory £100k - video (From Worcester News)

Blaze costs leather factory £100k - video

7:10am Wednesday 16th December 2009 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
• Comments(0)

• Play Video

A DEVASTATING fire at a leather goods warehouse has destroyed £100,000 of stock.

The blaze was discovered by a worker at Ridgeway Leather Company, near Shelsley Walsh, shortly after 8am, yesterday.

More than 30 firefighters using breathing gear were called in to tackle the fire at the Homme Castle Barn industrial estate just a short distance from Ham Bridge and the B4204.

Crews from Worcester, Stourport, Tenbury Wells, Bewdley and Kidderminster were on the scene in minutes and had to break down a side door to get at the fire in the metal fabricated warehouse building.

District commander Mark Preece said seven appliances had been brought in to tackle the fire.

“We had to break in to get in through the side door to get at the fire. “We used six firefighters in breathing gear and the hoses. There’s machinery and a lot of leather stock in the building.”

Once the fire was out, firefighters started the process of dampening down and ventilating the building, he said. Nobody was hurt.

The 25m by 10m () building contained leather garments and various pieces of industrial machinery including a fork lift truck.

Firefighters also safely removed at least one pressurised gas cannister from the building.

Investigators are now searching for clues inside the gutted structure to try and find out what caused the fire.

Owner and managing director Paul Ridgeway said the firm, which has been trading for 16 years and employs four people, would make alternative arrangements to fill its current orders.

He said: “We’re going to work something out on the orders. I’d like to get it back up and running in about two weeks. We’ve only just had the place refurbished.”

The company specialises in supplying fine equestrian and leather garments in the UK and overseas.