Tributes have poured in on social media for a man who died in the Kirkby Lonsdale fire - described by friends as a “cherished member” of the community.

Around 5.45am on Sunday (Dec 8), emergency services rushed into Kirkby Lonsdale, near the Yorkshire Dales, after reports of a fire on Main Street.

More than 75 firefighters tackled the blaze opposite the Red Dragon pub, which caused nearby residents to be evacuated and Christmas markets to be cancelled.

Cumbria Police said a man in his 40s was pronounced dead at the scene.

Locals have named the man as Kirkby Lonsdale business owner Ben Taylor, 45.

The building destroyed by the blaze following the Kirkby Lonsdale fire | Eugene Kaufman

Dales Traditional Butchers Ltd has led the tributes with a post in which they said the loss of Ben is “deeply felt by all who knew him”.

They said: “We're heartbroken to share the devastating news of the recent fire in Kirkby Lonsdale, which has tragically claimed the life of our dear friend Ben Taylor.

“Ben was a cherished member of our community, and his loss is deeply felt by all who knew him. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family and friends.”

Kirkby Lonsdale Rugby Union also paid tribute to Ben, calling him “part of a family which has been an important supporter” of the club.

The huge plume of smoke spotted above Kirkby Lonsdale on Sunday morning

The club also set up a fundraiser for another man impacted by the fire, rugby player Jakob Smith.

Jakob is from New Zealand, but now lives in Kirkby Lonsdale and plays for the rugby union team.

Subscribe to The Yorkshire Post and get complimentary access to The New York Times!

Buy our new annual subscription package & enjoy our award-winning journalism plus everything The New York Times has to offer, including The Athletic, Games and more. Subscribe here.

A statement In the fundraiser set up by the club’s chairman Brian Gregory said: “Jakob is far from home and having lost every possession he had, he now needs our community to support him.”

So far they have raised almost £10,000.

Two other Darlington Mowden Park RFC players - Sam Kyle-Clay and Josh Ree - were also affected by the fire.

In a post about the incident it was revealed the players had returned home from playing against a Plymouth team on Saturday (Dec 7), and Sam was woken by “police breaking into his flat asking everyone to immediately evacuate the building”.

The fire had allegedly started in the flats next to theirs and had spread.

The club stated: “Within hours the whole building was up in flames and everything inside unsalvageable.”

Darlington Mowden Park RFC has also set up a fundraising campaign that has raised almost £10,000.

‘A cherished member of our community’: Tributes pour in for man who died in Kirkby Lonsdale fire as fundraiser set up

Comment Guidelines