A FIRE at a Bilsdale TV mast has left up to a million people without TV and radio signal - but users are desperately to know when signals will return.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service attended the fire last night saying they had "six fire appliances and our mobile bowser as well as command and control assets in attendance."

READ MORE: Bilsdale mast fire latest: Up to a million still without TV and radio

The mast is primarily used for radio and television transmission and is among the most powerful in the UK.

In a more recent statement, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said the fire had been extinguished but a 300-metre exclusion zone remains around the mast.

They said last night: "We will return tomorrow when the site is declared safe to bring the incident to a conclusion."

Meanwhile up to a million people have been left without TV and radio, but many people are wondering when will signals return.

READ MORE: Homes lose TV reception as smoke billows from Bilsdale signal station fire

When can I expect my TV signal to return?

Currently, authorities are unsure as to when a signal will return. 

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service have issued a statement saying they will be working on-site with Aqiva, the site operator.

Arqiva have issued a statement updating the situation:

"Following the incident at Bilsdale yesterday (10/08/21) our teams continue to work with the emergency services to ensure the safety of the site.

"We have started the process to gradually restore services using a combination of temporary structures and existing infrastructure elsewhere in the region, and will be moving through this process as quickly and safely as possible.

"We will continue to share updates as we have them"

A spokesperson for Freeview said: "There is a fire at the Bilsdale transmitter disrupting services in North East England. There is no need to retune your device, services will be restored once the problem has been fixed."

In previous incidents involving TV mast fires, reception had been restored by a reserve antenna, it is unclear at this time whether this will be the case for the Bilsdale fire.

A spokesperson for BBC England has updated with information on how people in affected areas can still get some BBC services.

The spokesperson said: "Viewers who use Bilsdale (or one of its relays) for their DTT (Freeview or YouView) television signal will have no reception until services are restored. All BBC television channels, including Look North, can be accessed using BBC iPlayer.

"BBC Radio Tees is unavailable on FM and Freeview. Digital radio coverage is reduced but satisfactory reception should continue to be possible for most listeners. There is no need to re-tune, and ensuring aerials are fully extended and placed near windows will get the best reception from the other digital radio transmitters in the area. Listeners can also find Radio Tees on BBC Sounds.

"BBC Radio York has reduced digital radio coverage across North Yorkshire, but satisfactory reception should continue to be possible for many listeners. There is no need to re-tune, and ensuring aerials are fully extended and placed near windows will get the best reception from the other digital radio transmitters in the area. BBC Radio York on FM is unaffected."

Meanwhile, Blackpool will be facing Middlesbrough tonight at 7.45pm and in a statement from BBC Sports Tees, those interested in tuning in can listen on DAB.

READ MORE: How to tune into the Blackpool vs Middlesbrough match after Bilsdale fire

The full statement said: "Tonight's Blackpool v Middlesbrough match in the League Cup will broadcast on DAB in most areas.

"We are unable to broadcast the game on BBC sounds and online due to right restrictions."

*UPDATE* In a further update provided by BBC, homes in Teesside should be receiving signal.

A spokesperson for BBC Reception said: "We do have some good news for television viewers who live in and around Hartlepool, Redcar and the edge of Middlesbrough.

"Services have been added to the Eston Nab transmitter and should be available, but you may need to retune. Autotune should work for everyone in those areas, but if not we would suggest you try manually retuning to the new service."

"We have also restored BBC Radio Tees FM on 95.0 MHz in the north of the region, including Middlesbrough, Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees.

"At the site itself, emergency services are still not allowing access due to safety concerns. However, the mast has been assessed using drones and that data is being evaluated.

"The process of restoring services using a combination of temporary structures and existing infrastructure elsewhere has begun."

*UPDATE AS OF AUGUST 13* In an update provided by the BBC, as of late last night, the Guisborough, Whitby and Limber Hill transmitters have all come back on-air and are transmitting BBC standard and high definition channels.

In an update provided by Freeview, a spokesperson said: “some viewers in Whitby, Limber Hill and Guisborough may find some channels returning if they have not retuned their TV since reception was lost and simply switch it back on. For those who have retuned since reception went missing.”

"Engineers continue to work tirelessly on a three-stage recovery plan to reinstate all services. 

"Phase One involved establishing a service for some people as soon as possible, phase two involves improving that coverage either by increasing power or using temporary sites, and phase three is the restoration of an equivalent service.

Since Tuesday, engineers have been able to restore some signal to hundreds of thousands of homes across the area. To do this, engineers have built a temporary tower at Eston Nab.

They added: "Bilsdale transmitter is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and replicating it is a complex task. Teams are working to restore the vast majority of TV coverage with temporary masts, and we hope to update with a firm timeline on that later today."

You can check if your TV is receiving signal using this website

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