EVACUEES who were forced out of their homes over fears that a wall could collapse onto their homes following the House of Lords inferno have spoken out about their experiences.
Homeowners in Hawke Street, Barrow, were told to flee their houses by police officers shortly after the fire started amid fears that the wall could have collapsed onto their properties.
Sarah Banks, who is originally from Yorkshire, only moved to her new home in Hawke Street just before Christmas.
The 36-year-old, who has just started a new job at Sovereign Chemicals in Park Road, had to spend the night at a makeshift refuge centre which was set up at The Forum for those who were stranded.
She said: "A policeman knocked on my door to tell me to get ready to leave because they were worried about gas canisters exploding.
"You could see the flames above the houses from the other side of the street and the whole roof of the building had completely caved in.
"I was worried about what would happen to my three dogs and whether I would be able to bring them into The Forum."
Fortunately, the entertainment hub was more than happy to accommodate Miss Banks and her dogs as free tea and coffee were provided for those who had nowhere to go.
Rebecca Berry, 25, who does contract work in Barrow, was asleep in her rented apartment in Abbey Road when she heard a knock on the door.
She said: "I heard the knock and someone said I would need to evacuate but they didn't say why or that they were the police.
"I thought there had been a fight because I heard shouting out on the street.
"I put on some clothes and ran outside and that's when I saw all the embers and flames and the street was packed with fire engines.
"When we asked police why we were being evacuated they said they were worried about it going up in flames, especially with the wind blowing towards the apartments."
Barrow Borough Councillor Anne Burns also headed down to The Forum sometime after 11pm last night to offer a helping hand to those in crisis.
She was devastated to hear of the demise of the House of Lords and hopes that an investigation can figure out what triggered the blaze.
Mrs Burns said: "I really want to find out what caused it. It was such a beautiful building that is going to be another one gone from Barrow.
"It was worth saving in whatever state it was in. It was one of the most historic buildings in Barrow."
In times of crisis, schools are usually used as refuge centres but Barrow Borough Council decided to use The Forum given that it was already open following the conclusion of a stage show.
Andy Buck, who is the emergency planning coordinator for the council, said: "It was very important that we made sure a place was open.
"Many people could have gone to their friends or families but some just didn't have those local contacts because they were probably working away from home.
"They were left to their own devices so we were more than happy to stay open for as long as possible to help them.
"We have never had anything like this in Barrow before."
Other generous members of the community also came to the aid of those affected by the blaze.
St Mark's Church in Rawlinson Street, Barrow, opened its doors from 10am yesterday morning to provide toiletries and clothes to families who had to evacuate their homes.
Evacuees offered refuge at The Forum after historic Barrow building becomes engulfed in flames
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