Fire crews tackle roof blaze at community building

Firefighters scaled the roof of a community building to tackle a blaze.

Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service got to Futures House at The Moakes, Luton, at about 16:55 BST on Wednesday. A witness described "black smoke emitting from the roof".

In a post on social media, Marsh Farm Futures (MFF), the charity that manages the building, said the building had been "safely evacuated".

MFF advised people to avoid the area, adding "Futures House and all of its businesses" would remain closed until further notice.

At the peak of the blaze eight fire engines and about 32 firefighters attended the incident.

Crews found a fire in the building's extraction unit.

The fire service said it would reinspect the building overnight and an investigation into the cause of the fire would take place.

Glenn Jenkins, one of the co-founders of Futures House, which provides business space, and delivers a range of social, youth, and support services, said his heart sank when someone called him to say it was on fire.

He told the BBC he could see "firemen everywhere".

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