A large fire has broken out at an abandoned mill in Tandragee this evening (Tuesday).
Firefighters are currently battling the blaze at Sintons Mill, just off Glebe Hill Manor.
There are currently six appliances from the NI Fire and Rescue Service in attendance.
A spokesperson told Armagh I that while it’s early in the operation, there are no casualties as a result of the blaze.
It is expected to take a number of hours to get under control given the scale of the fire.
Local DUP Councillor Gareth Wilson said he was relieved the blaze was under control and praised emergency services for dealing swiftly with the fire.
“With the very close proximity of housing this could be a much worse situation however due to the swift action of the emergency services the blaze is well under control and that is good news for local residents whose homes are only yards away from this derelict structure,” said Councillor Wilson.
”Hopefully it can be established what caused the blaze as I know that in the past fires have been maliciously started in the building and the risks are clearly obvious from that type of behaviour.”
Sintons Mill, which dates back almost a century and a half, employed 200 people in 1996, but a downturn in the textiles industry led to it closing.
The Mill has been derelict since its closure almost 30 years ago.
It changed hands a number of times since and had previously been granted planning approval for the development of 172 residential units, however, that permission has long since lapsed.
At one time, in the 1880s, it was the largest employer in Tandragee, offering work to more than 600, with almost every household in the town relying upon it for a wage.
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