Cambridgeshire Fire Service reveal cause of Peterborough Lidl warehouse fire

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue service have said that the fire at the Lidl distribution centre was caused by an electrical failure.

Smoke could be scene for miles around after the fire started on the roof of the warehouse, located on the side of the A1 in the city, this afternoon.

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service initially said more than 40 firefighters attended – but later said that number had reached more than 50.

While the fire has now been brought under control, crews will attend this evening to make sure it is safe.

A spokesperson for the fire service said: “The fire involved a large number of solar panels on the roof of a commercial building. Eleven fire engines, a water carrier and aerial appliance attended with over 50 firefighters. Crews did an excellent job containing the fire to the roof, using approximately 15 lengths of hose connected together and pumping water from an open water source to get water up to the roof.

“With this number of fire engines at the scene, control operators also worked hard behind the scenes to not only send enough fire crews to the scene, but to move other crews around the country to ensure we had crews strategically placed to deal with any other incidents that may have come in.”

The fire was started accidentally, with an electrical issue to blame.