A devastating fire has destroyed machinery and outbuildings at Oakenclough Buildings on the Tyne Tunnel Industrial Estate in North Tyneside, prompting an investigation by Northumbria Police.
Fire Breaks Out in Early Hours
The blaze was reported to Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) at 1:51 a.m. on Wednesday, 8 July 2026. Ten fire appliances from across Tyneside responded, including crews from Byker, Gateshead, Gosforth, Hebburn, Newcastle Central, South Shields, Tynemouth, and West Denton Community Fire Stations. Firefighters battled the flames for several hours, leaving the scene shortly before 7 a.m.
The fire engulfed a shed containing a sawmill and other timber equipment. Oakenclough Buildings, a company specializing in timber structures such as sheds, log cabins, and summer houses, confirmed the loss of their sawmill. In a social media statement, staff described the night as "terrible," noting that the fire "spread incredibly fast and just wouldn’t stop. Timber was all it needed, and within a short time our sawmill was gone."
No Injuries Reported
TWFRS confirmed that no one required rescue, and there were no injuries. A spokesperson for the fire service stated: "We can confirm that, in the early hours of this morning, ten fire appliances attended a fire at a commercial building in the North Tyneside area. Outbuildings, materials, and machinery were damaged."
Northumbria Police were alerted at 2:15 a.m. and assisted with traffic management. A police spokesperson said: "Emergency services attended the scene and the fire was later extinguished. No-one is reported to have been injured in the incident and the cause of the fire is currently under investigation."
Business Vows to Continue
Despite the devastation, Oakenclough Buildings pledged to keep operating. Their statement added: "Although we’ve lost our sawmill, we are not giving up. From today, our focus will be on what we do best: building high-quality timber sheds, log cabins, summer houses, and other timber buildings. We are still here. We are still open. And we will keep moving forward."
The cause of the fire remains unknown, and investigations are ongoing. Residents near the Tyne Tunnel Trading Estate were advised to keep windows and doors closed due to smoke.
