A FIRE at the Bilsdale transmitting centre has been extinguished but concerns remain around the structural integrity of a transmitter mast, the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (NYFRS) has said.
In an update, the NYFRS said it worked in “difficult circumstances” and extinguished a fire in a “single-storey stone building” and a “transmitter mast”.
It added: “Only one building in a complex of four was affected and there are concerns about the structural integrity of the mast.
“A 300m exclusion zone has been put in place around the mast.”
“Eight pumps from North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service attended the incident and firefighting has now ceased until the site has been confirmed as safe for further work.”
NYFRS said it would be working on Wednesday with Arqiva, the site operators, “to bring the incident to safe conclusion”.
Black smoke could be seen billowing from the 314-meter high Bilsdale signal mast on moorland above Helmsley, North Yorkshire, on Tuesday.
The mast is primarily used for radio and television transmission and is among the most powerful in the UK.
The mast transmits TV and radio signals to parts of North Yorkshire, Teesside and County Durham and hundreds of households have lost their TV and radio reception this afternoon as a result of the fire.
The BBC's transmitter fault service says that the issue was registered at 1.26pm this afternoon.
Residents in areas including Darlington, Aycliffe, Teesside and some areas in North Yorkshire reported problems with their reception.
Homes that receive their signal from the Pontop Pike mast between Stanley and Consett should not be affected.
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