Firefighters tackle large blaze in Leeds city centre

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Firefighters are tackling a large blaze in a city centre building in Leeds.

The blaze broke out on the top floors of a derelict high-rise building in Cookridge Street, near the city’s Millennium Square, at 7.47pm.

A number of nearby pubs and restaurants were evacuated, the fire service said.

Ten fire engines are working to extinguish the blaze and a safety cordon has been put in place as the fire service said the structure is “potentially unsafe”.

West Yorkshire fire service wrote on Twitter: “Firefighters continue to battle fire at city centre building and are working with @WestYorksPolice, @YorksAmbulance and the Hazardous Area Response Team (HART).

“Cordon is in place and local buildings evacuated.”

Leeds council has urged people to keep away from the area around Millennium Square.

James Lewis, leader of Leeds city council, said the fire was in the Leonardo building, a former council property sold to developers which currently lies empty, the BBC reported.

He added: “I’m hugely thankful for the quick response from the fire service, they stopped it becoming a much more serious and destructive fire. I’m sure it was very worrying for people nearby.

“Certainly it’s a very serious incident and had the fire service not reacted so quickly, it could have been much more devastating.”

Will Dunaway, an 18-year-old student, said he had left a restaurant on nearby Oxford Place with his family when he witnessed the flames.

He told the BBC: “It looked like it was the top part that was on fire, the bottom part looked pretty intact. There was a lot of crackling and some explosions, like a popping sound.

“Nobody appeared to be in any danger as far as I could tell.”