Milkmen to the rescue

Most of the town was still fast asleep when a blaze broke out at Armfibre Ltd in Shortmead Street at around 4am on Tuesday, April 25. But the Unigate milkman were only 60 yards away at the dairy and therefore able to act swiftly.

“At first we could smell smoke, then it got stronger” said yard foreman Lol Gurney who alerted the fire brigade. “We searched our own building then we could see flames and smoke coming over the top of our van shed.”

Biggleswade firemen reached the scene within seven minutes by which time the factory workshop was fully ablaze. Flames had also got through the asbestos roof which was beginning to explode.

The building was extensively damaged but Armfibre manager Gavin Brown said that it could have been a lot worse.

“I think we were lucky that the chap at the dairy saw it when he did because we have lost very little stock” he said.

The fire was believed to have been caused by an electrical fault.