On the night of 9th July, 1984, a fire broke out at the York Minster. This film includes images of the devastating blaze as well as scenes from the morning after as workmen begin to clear the debris. The film opens with images of the Minster on fire. Fire trucks arrive at the scene. The firemen fight the blaze throughout the night, but much of the South transept is destroyed. Fire trucks can be seen parked around the Minster with their emergency lights flashing, and eventually the flames...

On the night of 9th July, 1984, a fire broke out at the York Minster. This film includes images of the devastating blaze as well as scenes from the morning after as workmen begin to clear the debris. The film opens with images of the Minster on fire. Fire trucks arrive at the scene. The firemen fight the blaze throughout the night, but much of the South transept is destroyed. Fire trucks can be seen parked around the Minster with their emergency lights flashing, and eventually the flames engulf the roof causing it to collapse inwards. Just before sunrise, fire has still not been subdued, and one of the firemen can be seen spraying water from atop a large extended ladder. At daybreak, the fire begins to fade. There are exterior shots of the Minster including the Rose Window, other stained glass, and a large stone crucifix. Workmen begin to clear some of the debris, and large scaffolding is set in place. There are shots taken from a helicopter showing the aftermath, and some crowds have gathered the next day. Workmen clear the area separating out the remains of timber, glass, and metal work which can be salvaged for the later task of repair and restoration. Some of the damaged statues can be seen inside. The road has been closed near the Minster, and a large donation box has been set up in front to help raise money for the renovations.