AN East Lancashire aerospace company has been left with a £750,000 bill after a milling machine set on fire, firefighters said.

More than 100 employees were evacuated as 20ft high flames leaped into the air inside a unit at RLC Callender, Metcalfe Drive, on Altham Industrial Estate on Wednesday morning.

Hyndburn watch manager Tom Simpson said the computer controlled machine, which mills large pieces of metal, burst into flames around 11am today.

The firm makes components for aerospace machine parts.

He said: “The machine on the shop floor was well alight. It is quite expensive piece of machinery worth about £750,000 and was totally destroyed.

“It had broken down on the night shift and the maintenance crew had started it up to see if it was a short circuit, but it just went up.

“Above the machine was an automatic vent which opened up and saved a lot of damage.

“There were some concerns for us about other materials burning, but nobody was injured and the incident was dealt with in an hour.”

Crews from Hyndburn used a triple extension ladder and four firefighters used breathing apparatus and a hose reel to tackle the flames.

The machine was being stripped for testing today and will be scrapped, firefighters said.

A spokesman for the company said: “There as been an incident in the factory today and it has been contained. We are making no further comment.”

The firm is part of the RLC Engineering Group which was founded in 1955 and has its headquarters on the Isle of Man. Across three sites, it employees 700 people and has sales in excess of £70million.