Far Cotton fire: 15 aftermath photos of Northampton blaze which ripped through 176-year-old Network Rail Depot building

Here are 15 photos from the aftermath of a blaze which ripped through a 176 year old iconic railway building in Northampton.

What happened?

Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue (NFRS) crews were called to a blaze at the Network Rail Depot in Cotton End, Far Cotton at around 6.20pm on Tuesday, June 28.

At the peak of the blaze, there were around 40 firefighters in attendance trying to get the fire under control.

Police closed roads in the area and gas and electricity providers cut off supplies to Far Cotton properties.

Eyewitnesses reported thick clouds of smoke billowing from the building. Residents were told to remain inside their homes and keep all windows and doors closed.

After a devastating two hour ordeal, firefighters had extinguished the blaze by 8.30pm.

An NFRS spokeswoman said no one was inside the building and there were no casualties.

Fire crews remain at the scene today (Wednesday, June 29) and continue to monitor the building and dampen down any hotspots. A fire investigator has been appointed and will be figuring out how the blaze started.

Reaction

One elderly Far Cotton resident said: “It’s part of Northampton. It’s going to be missed. It’s a shame. It was an eyesore to some but it was architecture to me.”

Far Cotton History Group said on Facebook the building was being used by Network Rail as a storage unit and dates back to 1845, which is 176 years ago.