THE Barrow night sky was lit up 46 years ago when one the town's iconic industrial buildings was destroyed by fire.

The Mail, on November 11, in 1972, noted: "As flames licked along the rafters above them, directors of a wholesale fruit company worked against the clock to get five of their vehicles and a caravan out of a blazing warehouse at Barrow Docks yesterday.

"Their efforts saved the lorries from destruction in a spectacular blaze which gutted the huge building known as "A" Block Warehouse.

"The five-storey warehouse, about 100 years old, was empty apart from the ground floor tenancy of A. E. Docker and Sons."

In earlier times it had been the Barrow Steam Corn Mills and processed grain brought to the docks from all over the world.

Former Barrow Grammar School pupil Philip Docker, aged 16, and his dad Albert rushed to the warehouse.

Philip said: "When we got inside, the rafters were on fire above us.

"Firemen were spraying the rafters.

"Debris and hot water were dropping on to our necks.

"We drove four of the wagons out but the key to one of them was missing and we had to push it out.

"There was no panic — but we had to work fast."

Fifty firefighters and 13 machines were needed to tackle the blaze — from Barrow, Coniston, Broughton, Dalton, Ulverston, Grange, Carnforth and Lancaster.

In charge was Barrow's deputy chief fire officer Ron Fentiman and he pulled everyone out as it became clear that the roof and parts of the walls would collapse.

The Mail noted: "Firemen had to scatter as a section of wall on the Michaelson Road side of the building crashed down, but no one was injured."

A strong wind helped the fire to spread quickly.

The paper noted: "Leaping flames, visible for miles, were watched by spectators at Craven Park, where the pitch at times was shrouded in smoke.

Dock staff moved two Docks Board tugs which had been moored close to the warehouse.

One was later used to help tackle the blaze.

Barrow Docks manager Alf Pidduck said: "We rigged up an arrangement of hoses on the tug."