Firefighters interviewed for first time about iconic Leeds fire

On 13 December 13, 1975, the biggest fire the city had ever seen was spotted by an employee at a flower stall at the market - it had only closed just half an hour earlier after a busy day trading.

Fortunately, no lives were lost but traders and cleaning staff were still inside the premises at the time the fire was discovered and had to smash locked gates to escape, with traders leaving their takings behind.

In the run up to the 50th anniversary of the fire, Leeds Beckett historian and Professor of History in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Shane Ewen, has spoken to the some of the firefighters who attended that night: "I have been involved with the Leeds Fire Heritage Group since 2017 and am the academic researcher on the Trailblazers project working with the local arts and social change charity Space2. We are producing story maps - interactive digital histories involving images, text, memories and a searchable map - to share stories about the Fire and Rescue Service in Leeds and West Yorkshire.

"The story maps are a unique interactive method for sharing research and stories that are useful for teaching, public engagement and further collaboration with external partners.

"Some of the core members of the East Leeds Fire Heritage Group served at Gipton and other fire stations across Leeds and attended the fire at Kirkgate Market in 1975. To date, no-one has asked them for their experiences and memories of that iconic fire despite the fact they were the boots on the ground tackling such a ferocious fire. Normally we hear about the stories from the point of view of the market traders, city councillors and senior officers in the emergency services. So, we decided to ask three of the men who attended the fire for their memories of working at such a challenging operational incident."

Trevor had only just been promoted to Sub Officer at Gipton Fire Station, and the day of the fire was his first shift in charge of his watch: "Exactly at 6.30pm, the fire station alarm went off signalling a turn out and the orders that all seven pumps were to get into town."

Within minutes of getting to work, Trevor knew this was going to be a tough job when a flashover occurred in the main hall and he had to evacuate his crew: "I can't believe how quick it was really. We came in and it was really going by then so two of the pumps went round the back of the market hall. We went in and then less than two minutes we came straight out quickly, I had to get them out, it was so quick, it was just unbelievable how quick it was.

"It just went on and on. For the next two and a half hours up there, we were working there all the time."

The Leeds crews were soon joined by pumps from across West Yorkshire, including Bradford and Keighley.

Leading Fireman Norman Fields was working at Bramley station. He recalls going upstairs where the fire was clearly visible from several miles away. He told his colleagues to get their kit on as it was going to be a long night ahead.

Alan, another firefighter at the time said: "This was an unprecedented fire, the likes of which Leeds has not seen since. That was one thing that struck me - we'd all been to a lot of big fires, and it's put a lot of people out of work. But the market was slightly different because it put businesses, dozens of businesses, out of work."

In total, fifteen pumps attended from across West Yorkshire to provide operational support. More than five hundred firefighters were called in, many working into the early hours of Sunday morning to save the premises, in difficult and dangerous conditions.

You can view the Story Map with more information.

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