60 firefighters tackle mill blaze

Police monitor the scene as firefighters tackle the large blaze

FIREFIGHTERS have spent two days tackling a fire at Hathershaw’s Maple mill.

The blaze, in a corner of a yard, engulfed two lorry trailers full of wooden cabinet doors and fibreboard, along with a pile of building materials behind them.

The former cotton mill, owned by businessman Vance Miller - has been blighted by fire over the years.

This one started at around 4.45pm on Saturday.

At its height 60 firefighters and eight fire engines tackled the fire, which threatened to spread to the five-storey building.

Crews from across Oldham and Ashton worked through the night to bring the blaze under control. Sunday was spent damping down.

A fire engine remained at the scene this morning as the area was excavated to check for remaining pockets of fire.

An investigation by the fire service and the police is under way.

The second mill on the site — Maple Mill 2 — was destroyed by a fire in 2009.