Piece of history damaged by fire

A PIECE of Warrington’s history was badly damaged by fire in the early hours of today.
The blaze broke out in an old farmhouse in School Road, Orford and flames spread throughout the ground floor before firefighters could reach the scene.
A man who was sleeping in the property overnight while carrying out renovations was fortunate to escape alive, according to a Fire Service spokesman.
The fire was discovered at about 1.15am by a passerby who raised the alarm.
Fire crews wearing breathing apparatus tackled the flames with hosereels.
A spokesman said: “We found the sole occupant outside the building when we arrived. He had apparently woken up and gone to investigate. He discovered the fire when he opened a door and then vacated the building. But he was lucky to get out alive.”
Red Cross Victim Support attended the scene and offered assistant to the man.
Cause of the fire is not yet known and is being investigated. At present it is not clear where the fire started but the whole of the ground floor was affected. Fire crews used a ventilation unit to clear smoke from the building but said it was now uninhabitable.
The property was once a farmhouse and is believed to be around 200 years old. It has been under renovation for some time.