Darwen Co-op fire, 1989
This dramatic photo records the night that Darwen’s former Co-op building was engulfed by flames.
Fire crews were brought in from across East Lancashire to tackle the blaze in July 1989 which had broken out while the premises on School Street was being demolished.
The store had closed in the mid-1980s and the scaffolding had been put up by the contractors brought in to tear the building down.
When it opened in 1866, the Co-op was the largest retail store in Darwen and would serve generations of families until its closure.
After the fire was eventually brought under control, just the shell of the building was left and this had to be pulled down quickly to prevent collapse.
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