Firefighters tackle blaze near Appleby Castle (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Firefighters tackle blaze near Appleby Castle

12:56pm Tuesday 18th September 2012 in News By Steven Bell, Senior Reporter

FIREFIGHTERS are tackling a blaze close to Appleby Castle this lunchtime.

Five fire engines are in attendance at a two-storey terraced house behind the ancient monument on Boroughgate.

The property is well alight, a Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said.

It is believed the fire broke out on the second floor of the property at around 10.20am and spread to the roof void.

Nobody was in the building at the time.

Firefighters from Appleby, Kirkby Stephen, Shap and Penrith are using nine-metre ladders and tools to remove roof tiles to access the flames.

As of 1.55pm, crews were damping down and in the process of removing the remaining roof.

The incident was scaled down at 2.45pm.