Fire at Tong Bridge Mill, Bacup, 2005Crews from Bacup, Rawtenstall, Todmorden, Rochdale, Accrington, Nelson and Burnley were called to Tong Bridge Mill and nearby homes were evacuated as a precaution. Crews used five jets and an aerial ladder as they tackled the blaze from outside before it was deemed safe enough for officers to enter the building using breathing apparatus. A single-storey section of the mill, which was filled with bales of cotton, was badly damaged but fire firefighters managed to save much of the three-storey main building. The cause was being investigated.