Firefighters are battling a significant blaze at a Grade I-listed manor house in Liverpool, prompting warnings for local residents to keep windows and doors closed.
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service confirmed they were alerted to the incident at Woolton Hall shortly after 8pm on Tuesday evening.
Residents were warned to keep doors and windows closed as crews tackled the fire at the three-storey stone-built building.
By 11.30pm, nine fire engines were on site, deploying hoses to combat flames on the building's exterior, a spokesman for the service stated.
A spokesperson for Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service said: “A multi-agency meeting has taken place with police and a building surveyor, who has assessed the building and advised it would be unsafe to commit firefighters to the interior of the building.”
Crews continued to fight the fire overnight, and the main body of the blaze was extinguished just before 2am on Wednesday.
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service released an update at 7am on Wednesday morning, which reads: “Fire crews continued to fight the fire overnight although having made good progress yesterday evening resources were scaled down to four fire engines and an aerial appliance.
“Crews damped down the scene with main branch hoses and hose reel jets.
“The main body of fire was extinguished just before 2am this morning and damping down and checking for hot spots continued throughout the night. Three fire engines and an aerial appliance remain at the scene.”
Photos at the scene show show the manor house’s roof has collapsed as firefighters continue to dampen down the scene on Wednesday morning.
The hall, which is privately owned, was built in 1704.
Local campaigners have been calling for Woolton Hall to be saved for a number of years due to the condition of the building.
In 2019, fire crews were called to tackle a suspected arson attack in outbuildings and worked to prevent the blaze from spreading to the main building.
