Recent fires at a former working men’s club in Blackpool and an abandoned building in Burnley have highlighted the extent of incidents involving derelict buildings
As Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) reveals it was called to a fire incident at a derelict building on average once every three days, MP for Burnley, Oliver Ryan, has called on local councils to act.
Speaking in the aftermath of the Burnley fire at Stuart House, Ryan described these unoccupied building as “a blight in too many areas”, and said, "that this building has been vacant for so long just isn't good enough, and is in part due to a failure to act.”
He called on the local council to act in its role as the responsible authority, saying, “Councils should now do an urgent appraisal of what derelict buildings we've got, who owns them, and why they are being left” in a bid to come up with a plan for how to deal with these properties going forward.
"People have to live next to these sites, we all know at least one, and it costs blue light services to fix the mess when they're left", he continued.
"Similarly, we can't forget about the recent fire, and Stuart House on Holmes Street should be demolished urgently before it happens again, it's not good enough for residents that it's just being left - get on and drop it!"
As reported by Lancs Live, LFRS Group Manager Ian Armistead said: "Fires in derelict buildings are a serious concern for us. They’re often started deliberately, putting our firefighters and the public at risk and tying up valuable resources that could be needed elsewhere.
"We attended 159 fires at derelict and disused buildings across Lancashire in 2024. We work closely with local councils and partner agencies to identify high-risk sites, and wherever possible, we engage with owners to ensure their buildings are properly secured.
"We also encourage the public to report suspicious activity, and we continue to work with Lancashire Police to investigate cases of suspected arson. Reducing the number of these fires remains a priority for us, and we fully support efforts to bring empty buildings back into safe and sustainable use.”