Dramatic drone images show the extent of the fire at St Joseph’s Orphanage that saw Fishergate closed for hours.

The official Twitter account for Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service Drone Team tweeted the photos on Friday night (13 May).

Eight fire engines and two aerial ladder platforms battled the blaze in Mount Street, which involved the third floor of the building and the roof. 

A further update from the LFRS Drone account on Saturday (14 May) clearly showed the damage to the city centre building.

St Joseph’s Orphanage opened in Preston in 1872. The orphanage was run by the Sisters of Charity our Lady Mother of Mercy and a chapel was added in 1910.

By 1988, the orphanage had closed and the building had been converted into a care home, which operated until 2003. 

The building has been neglected ever since. In 2020, proposals were approved to convert the majority of the site into flats and townhouses.

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