Fire hydrant explodes during village centre blaze sending 50ft spray into the air
Fire fighters were forced to use river water to fight the blaze
A FIRE hydrant has exploded, sending water shooting 50ft into the air as fire fighters were in the middle of fighting a blaze in the centre of a West Yorkshire village.
The plume of water rocketed into the sky when fire crews tried to use a hydrant to fight a fire in The Watershed on Bridge Street in Slaithwaite.
Water rocketed into the air, even spouting higher than the houses in the village.
Fire crews, who had rushed to the fire in the basement of an arts venue, were forced to close off roads as they tried to control the scene.
They were also forced to use the river to find water to fight the blaze.
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No one was injured in the fire.
Emergency services said they had struggled to contain the blaze due to the amount of storage kept in the basement.
A West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: "At its peak, there were eight appliances there. It was a basement fire and there were a lot of storage items down there. It was really difficult to gain access.
"We tried to use the hydrant for water supply and it blew, so we had to turn to the river for water.";
He said there was no longer a plume of water with the hydrant to now be repaired.
The charity based at the arts venue, Shabang!, which works with disabled children as well as arts organisations and community groups, have now been left devastated by the fire.
The cause of the fire is now being investigated.
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