WORKERS evacuated a Nelson factory after trying to fight a fire in a 100 feet long machine used to put a flame retardant coating on textiles.
The incident happened at 8.40pm last night at Clarkson Textiles, Lindred Road.
The factory became smoke-logged but fire damage was confined to the machine.
No-one was hurt.
The alarm was raised by workers at another factory across the road.
Leading Firefighter Tony Spencer said: "Workers tried to tackle the incident with fire extinguishers and their own hose reel.
"But the fire spread so fast they had to leave and call us."
He said the fire started in cotton flock or dust inside the machine and quickly spread along the whole length.
It then also spread to ducting above the machine.
Firefighters from Nelson and Burnley used three hose reels to put out the fire.
They also used two ventilation units to clear the smoke and a thermal imaging camera from the incident support unit at Accrington to check for hot spots and to make sure the fire was out.
They were at the factory for two hours.
The company today refused to comment.
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