A MYSTERY fire gutted a two-storey factory early today.

The spectacular blaze turned the night sky red as flames ripped through the roof of the Ace Group premises in Earby town centre.

Pennine House, School Lane, was used for the manufacture of sheet metal boxes and employs about 15 workers.

Firefighters from Earby, Barnoldswick, Colne and Burnley were called out at 4.30am.

The first crews found the premises well alight and about half an hour later flames burst through the roof. Two gas cylinders inside the premises were brought out and cooled off but others were still inside among the rubble.

Beverley Floyd of Shuttleworth Street, said: "We were awakened by noises at about 4.30am. I looked out and saw the fire against the night sky. The whole building seemed to be going up.''

Neighbour Lorraine Harrison said: "It seemed firemen had taken control of the fire when the roof suddenly went up turning the sky red.''

The premises were formerly used by Armabord and before that as a cinema.

Sub Officer Ron Humphreys said the cause of the fire was not yet known and that an investigation would be carried out.

The ground floor was well alight when they arrived and the fire seemed to have started in an area near the gas supply.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.