A false alarm over a suspected fire at the top of Blackpool Tower caused considerable disruption on Thursday.
Footage posted on X appeared to show a blaze at the tower’s upper level, although it was later confirmed to be orange netting.
Blackpool Police said: “Our helicopter has flown over the tower and there is no fire. We can confirm what can be seen is orange netting.”
The tourist attraction – operated by Merlin Entertainments as the Blackpool Tower Eye – is currently closed for seasonal maintenance.
By about 16:00, the tower had been lit up as normal as part of Blackpool’s illuminations period.
The emergency services also reopened roads around the same time, after traffic suffered considerable disruption.
‘A fire’
In a statement issued at 14:14, Lancashire Fire & Rescue Service (LFRS) said it had six appliances at “a fire”.
LFRS later clarified that it was a false alarm caused by a “combination of factors” that led the public to believe there was a fire.
Although the service asked people to avoid the area, crowds did gather and one person was arrested for breaching the peace.
An LFRS statement added: “The area where the fire was suspected is generally inaccessible, therefore access to this area is difficult.
“A specialist rope rescue team gained access and confirmed that there was no fire.
“This incident was supported by the National Police Air Service, who used thermal imaging which provided further assurance.”
Emergency procedures
On Thursday evening, Blackpool Tower responded to the false alarm on X.
“We can confirm that the Fire Brigade were on site at The Blackpool Tower and have now left,” a post read.
“They have established that there is no fire. Our well-rehearsed emergency procedures were implemented, and we can confirm that what looked like a fire from a distance was in fact lights on a reflective netting surface at the top of the tower.”