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Morrisons fire to burn all night | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Firefighters are expected to be at the scene of a large fire at a Cumbrian supermarket for the majority of the night. | |
Some 50 firefighters are battling to keep the fire under control at Morrisons supermarket in Penrith. | |
People in nearby houses have been evacuated to Penrith Leisure centre which is being used as an emergency reception centre. | |
No-one was injured but the damage to the store is described as "extensive". | |
Bob Nixon, head of operation support at Cumbria Fire and Rescue, said the store was very busy with Christmas shoppers at the time, but Morrisons staff evacuated the supermarket quickly. | |
He said access to the fire was difficult at first because the car park was full and there was a large crowd of bystanders. | |
He said: "At the moment the devastation is quite bad. The damage to the store is extensive." | |
'Plumes of smoke' | |
Firefighters were battling the fire from the outside due to the risk of the store's roof falling in. | |
Specialist aerial ladders from Carlisle and Barrow were also being used. | |
The fire service advised people to stay indoors because the smoke was thick across the town. | |
Train services have not been affected. | |
One eye-witness said: "There were large plumes of smoke, and half the building was in flames." | |
Another eye-witness said the supermarket had been "more or less destroyed". | |
The store is situated close to a petrol station and the West Coast main line. | The store is situated close to a petrol station and the West Coast main line. |