AN arson attack saw flames rip through a business causing £200,000 worth of damage Bosses at AquaSpira in Colne said their entire finished stock of industrial pipes had been destroyed in the blaze.
Around 20 firefighters battled the fire for more than an hour to bring it under control.
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It is thought accelerants were used to ignite stock in the yard outside the main factory building.
Four cars left parked outside the building were written off after catching fire.
An electricity substation worth £100,000 was also destroyed leaving the factory without power.
An investigation has now been launched by the police and the fire service into the blaze at the Whitewalls Industrial Estate site.
The business, which started manufacturing in 2010, was closed yesterday and a clean up operation was started.
Electricity North West also attended the site.
Bosses said they hoped the company will reopen today but factory workers said they feared it might stay closed until tomorrow.
A number of roads on the industrial estate were closed while the fire was brought under control.
The company, which has 35 employees, has handed over CCTV footage to the police and more images are also being retrieved from cameras at the site.
Managing director of AquaSpira, Neil Wallace, who set up the company, said: “The fire quickly took hold of the yard and I believe that accelerant was used to get the fire going.
“It’s very hard to set our stock alight because of what it is made of (plastic and steel) so I can’t see how it would have been an accident.
“The fire has wiped out our entire finished stock and our substation which will cost £100,000 to replace alone.
“I don’t suppose that by the end we will have much change from £200,000 to replace everything.
“It will take us about two days to recover our stock.
“It has also wiped out our product development which is a key part of our business.
“We have the right business insurance and all of the employees will continue to be paid despite the factory not being open.
“We are very lucky that the fire did not spread to the main building as that would really have impacted on us hard.
“It’s a setback for us for sure, but nothing that we can’t handle as out turn over is £5million a year.”
Ian Boardman, an engineer team manager at Woodhead Bros, which is opposite AquaSpira, said: “I was called in the evening and asked to come back into work to make sure the fire didn’t spread to our side of the road.
“We were very lucky and got away with only a couple of signs being partially melted.
“Nothing like this has ever happened here before and it’s come a bit out of the blue.”
DS Alisa Wilson of Burnley CID said: “Fortunately no one was injured in the fire but extensive damage has been caused to a number of buildings and cars on the site.
“At this stage we are treating the fire as suspicious and we are keen to speak to anyone who may have information about the incident which could help us with our enquiries.”
Anyone with information about the fire which happened shortly after 6.30pm on Monday can contact police on 101 quoting log number 1045 of December 8.
Alternatively, they can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at Crimestoppers-uk.org.
No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.
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