A historic Victorian mill used as a filming location for Peaky Blinders and Downton Abbey has been hit by a major fire for the fifth time in five years.

Firefighters were called to Dalton Mills in Keighley, West Yorkshire, at around 8pm on Saturday after flames broke out at the sprawling Grade II-listed former textile complex.

Nearby residents were evacuated as crews battled the blaze, with emergency planners brought in to support those forced from their homes.

The latest fire has prompted renewed fury over the condition and security of the long-derelict site, with the local MP warning that ‘the situation cannot continue’.

Robbie Moore, the MP for Keighley and Ilkley, said in a video posted on X: ‘You already will have seen that we have had another major fire in the centre of Keighley, which is deeply infuriating.

‘This situation just simply cannot continue. I’ve been calling on our local authority to secure this site as best as possible for years now, and this is our next major fire.’

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said it was called to the mill at around 8pm on Saturday.

A historic Victorian mill used as a filming location for Peaky Blinders and Downton Abbey has been hit by a major fire for the fifth time in five years

Firefighters were called to Dalton Mills in Keighley, West Yorkshire, at around 8pm on Saturday after flames broke out at the sprawling Grade II-listed former textile complex

‘Due to the severity of the incident and the potential risk to residents living in close proximity to the fire, a number of nearby residents are now being evacuated,’ they said in a statement late on Saturday.

‘Local Authority Emergency Planning officers are on scene and are providing support and guidance to those affected by the evacuation.’

The latest blaze is the latest in a series of fires to have struck the historic site, which was built between 1866 and 1877 for the manufacture of worsted cloth.

The imposing complex is Grade II listed because of its elaborate architecture, rare features including its chimney and ornate surviving ironwork, as well as its importance to Yorkshire’s textile industry.

At its height, the mill is said to have employed up to 2,000 workers, but it has stood largely unused for years and has suffered repeated damage from fires.

Its distinctive industrial setting has also made it a favourite with film and television producers.

Dalton Mills has featured in Peaky Blinders and Downton Abbey, as well as other productions, with Historic England describing its historic character as having made it an important filming location.

But the building’s cinematic past has been overshadowed by a succession of devastating fires.

A major blaze in 2011 was later confirmed to have been arson, while a huge fire in March 2022 tore through the complex, destroying its interior and causing extensive damage to the floors and roof.

Nearby residents were evacuated as crews battled the blaze, with emergency planners brought in to support those forced from their homes

The latest fire has prompted renewed fury over the condition and security of the long-derelict site, with the local MP warning that ‘the situation cannot continue’

Another fire broke out in July 2025 and was also treated as arson.

Then, in February this year, firefighters were called to two separate blazes at the site within just six days.

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said both of those fires had been started deliberately.

The repeated incidents have fuelled concern over the future of the historic complex, with attempts to secure a new owner and bring the site back into use facing difficulties.

A community organisation, Future Transformation, had been seeking to take on the mill and restore it for new commercial and educational uses, but the process has been held up by complicated ownership issues.

The Crown Estate took possession of the site under the legal principle of escheat after the previous owner ceased to hold the property, leaving campaigners concerned that the empty building remained vulnerable to further fires and trespass.