FIREFIGHTERS spent six hours tackling a blaze which broke out on a 60-foot barge on the River Weaver at Northwich last night.

The boat was moored alongside Weaver Marine Ltd, a boatyard and marina, and sunk due to the damage it sustained in the fire.

Jeremy Tyrrell from the firm said the boat, a Dutch barge, was owned by a customer, and had been moored at the boatyard for several years.

Fire engines from Northwich, Tarporley and Winsford attended the blaze at 8.46pm, and used water jets to tackle the blaze as well as an aerial appliance from Chester to enable them to fight it from above.

Dave Foster lives in a third floor flat in Sandbach Drive across the river from the boatyard, and was alerted to the fire by the sight of blue flashing lights from the fire engines.

“When I saw the flashing lights I ran down to the car park at the end of Wrenbury Drive, and could see the barge on fire on the other side of the river,” Dave told the Guardian today.

“It was pouring down, and the barge was well alight, from top to toe.

“It was quite dramatic, and a lot of people from the flats were looking out and taking pictures."

A Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said the barge began to list significantly at about 1.15am, and it started to sink half an hour later because of the fire damage to the boat.

Weaver Marine Ltd is situated off Saxons Lane, and police attended the incident to temporarily close local footpaths.

Waterways and environment agencies were informed, and firefighters, two of who wore breathing apparatus during the operation, were at the scene for just under six hours.

The video of the fire, featured above, was sent to us by Mr Foster