In shocking news, a massive fire broke out at Dalton Mills on Thursday where hit British shows Downton Abbey and Peaky Blinders used to be filmed. The incident at the abandoned West Yorkshire factory was confirmed by West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service in a statement on their website. "We currently have fire engines & specialist units in attendance at a fire at Dalton Mills, Keighley. There is a lot of smoke in the area & residents are advised to keep doors/windows closed. Please avoid traveling through the area," the statement read. The next update read, "We have 20+ appliances in attendance at a fire in Dalton Mill in Keighley. 100% of buildings involved in fire. Hose reel jets & aerial ladder platform in use. Appliances from neighboring brigades are also in attendance. Partner agencies in attendance – Police, Ambulance, Yorkshire Water and Environment Agency." Another update shared later in the day stated, "There is a large fire service presence around the incident so please give crews space to do their job safely. Please do not visit the area or travel into the area. Keep doors/windows closed."

Speaking to BBC, Screen Yorkshire executive Richard Knight said that the fire incident was "a sad loss to the Yorkshire film-making landscape." He added, "It’s one of those amazing locations that is like a destination in its own right. It’s got the kind of provenance and scale that could attract filmmakers from far and wide." Knight stated that the location had been reconstructed into London’s Victorian-era East End for the 2016 Bill Nighy-starrer The Limehouse Golem. An image was posted on social media by television cameraman Malik Walton showing the extent of the fire and the damage to the former Peaky Blinders and Downton Abbey sets. Footage from PM Breaking News too gives viewers a glimpse into the raging blaze that had engulfed the shooting sets. 

Dalton Mills, which saw more than 2000 workers employed at the large textile mill in Yorkshire upon its construction in 1869 by Joseph Craven, had later become an important shooting location for filmmakers and studio productions. The Screen Yorkshire website added, "The distinctive mills offer a range of large scale spaces and historic features, including a large courtyard and recently renovated clock tower. It is able to accommodate on site production offices and workshops and has suitable parking for facilities vehicles." 

Some other notable productions that were shot over recent years at the location include BBC dramas GunpowderThe Great Train Robbery, and To Walk Invisible. "Dalton Mills is building a strong reputation as a filming location, thanks to its diverse range of industrial spaces, which offer a historic industrial backdrop as well as set build space, making it ideally suited to period dramas," the website read.