A massive blaze of irony occurred this week as a coffin factory in Lancashire caught fire destroying over half of the former mill.
Walter Lambert and Sons have been making coffins for more than 80 years and the fire on Edgar Street in Nelson took old quickly due to the large amount of timber stored at the site.
Flames were said to have reached 50ft into the air as eight appliances and an aerial ladder platform were called to try and rescue the building.
Nearby residents had to be evacuated but no one was hurt. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
A spokesman for Lancashire Fire Service, speaking with the Guardian, said, "Because of the scale of the fire and the size of the building, we have a lot of forensic evidence to sift through. Some 50% of the site was engulfed by the fire. There will also be a lot of water damage because of the gallons of water used. There will be a big clear up."
There are now genuine concerns that there could be a coffin shortage in the area.