WORKERS fled to safety from a huge blaze at a Bolton mill.
Eleven fire engines from Bolton, Bury and Wigan rushed to Stott & Smith at the Chortex Victoria Mill on Chorley New Road, Horwich, when the fire started at 11am yesterday.
The blaze started in a loom in a weaving shed at the towel manufacturing business and spread to the roof where about a dozen people were working.
About 50 firemen were involved in the operation. They used a thermal image camera to fight the fire and a hydraulic platform was called in when it became clear that the flames had spread to the roof of the single storey building. The shed was heavily smokelogged but fire damage was limited to a section of the roof and machinery.
About 80 people were sent home early. An investigation has been launched into how the fire started.
Firemen had the blaze under control within 30 minutes but remained at the site to ensure it had been contained and left at 7.45pm.
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