Whatever it is, one might expect that fire prevention and extinguishing
capabilities on site might have shut stuff down and put it out pdq, given
its location.
Brian

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"Mark Carver" <mark.carver@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:infdlmF578tU1@mid.individual.net...
> On 10/08/2021 14:26, Mark Carver wrote:
>> On 10/08/2021 14:02, Andy Burns wrote:
>>> Mark Carver wrote:
>>>
>>>> Reports that there is a fire there ?
>>>
>>> <https://twitter.com/NorthYorksFire/status/1425081443001188364>
>>
>> Implies a fire inside the mast. That won't end well (particularly as
>> Bilsdale is a tubular design)
>>
>> This happened to a similar mast in The Netherlands a while back
>>
>> https://youtu.be/Uj5SXwZyvEI?t=92
>
> Or it could be the building, going by this picture
>
> https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/19503528.bilsdale-tv-mast-fire-north-york-moors/

Well you have me at a disadvantage but if smoke is getting into the mast one
must presume that hot gasses are as well, so even if structurally its sound,
I'd not bet on the feeder runs being unaffected by it. I'm assuming it has
guys. Thus what would happen if the bottom gave way and dropped I wonder.
Brian

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"NY" <me@privacy.invalid> wrote in message
news:seu5ph$ao0$1@dont-email.me...
> "Mark Carver" <mark.carver@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
> news:infe26F59hmU1@mid.individual.net...
>> On 10/08/2021 14:31, Andy Burns wrote:
>>> Mark Carver wrote:
>>>
>>>> Or it could be the building, going by this picture
>>>>
>>>> https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/19503528.bilsdale-tv-mast-fire-north-york-moors/
>>>
>>>
>>> Keep scrolling down ...
>>>
>>>
>> Oh, my. Nothing that can be done there. Stand 1000ft away and watch
>
> Does the second picture, of smoke issuing from the top of the mast,
> necessarily mean that the mast and its cables are on fire? Could it be
> that the hollow mast is acting as a chimney, venting smoke from the
> transmitter building below?

Well I could see when the Emley Moor collapse happened, the footage was a
bit indistinct in those days, but the aftermath spoke very loudly,
considering the weather they get up there. What construction is this one?

Strangely, when the temp mast was up back then, in lift conditions at uhf,
reception here was better! Down south , maybe the lobes were not quite the
same.
Brian

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"NY" <me@privacy.invalid> wrote in message
news:seu6po$u5e$1@dont-email.me...
> "Mark Carver" <mark.carver@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
> news:infki3F6j7qU1@mid.individual.net...
>> On 10/08/2021 16:25, NY wrote:
>>> "Mark Carver" <mark.carver@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
>>> news:infe26F59hmU1@mid.individual.net...
>>>> On 10/08/2021 14:31, Andy Burns wrote:
>>>>> Mark Carver wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Or it could be the building, going by this picture
>>>>>>
>>>>>> https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/19503528.bilsdale-tv-mast-fire-north-york-moors/
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Keep scrolling down ...
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> Oh, my. Nothing that can be done there. Stand 1000ft away and watch
>>>
>>> Does the second picture, of smoke issuing from the top of the mast,
>>> necessarily mean that the mast and its cables are on fire? Could it be
>>> that the hollow mast is acting as a chimney, venting smoke from the
>>> transmitter building below?
>>
>> It'll be very hot smoke, and coating whatever is inside the mast with all
>> sorts of nasty stuff
>
> Do transmitter sites tend to keep the transmitters and the aerials
> separate so a fire in one doesn't vent hot smoke into the other?
>
> I wonder what disaster-recovery plans there are for Bilsdale. I wonder if
> they will get any muxes back on via temporary masts/transmitters, as
> happened when Emley Moor mast fell down in 1969.
>
> I bet aerial riggers will be busy for people on the reception boundaries,
> turning people's aerials to point at Emley Moor, Bilsdale, Oliver's Mount
> etc and helping people retune.

On Wed 11/08/2021 09:02, Mark Carver wrote:
> On 11/08/2021 08:49, MB wrote:
>> On 11/08/2021 02:33, williamwright wrote:
>>> Why not simply equip them with freesat dishes?
>>
>> How many thousand Freesat dishes can you install per day?
>>
>> They have managed to restore services fairly quickly on previous
>> occasions and now better equipped with emergency transmitters, masts etc.
>>
>>
> I gather Arqiva have a containerised Tx set and a mast on the way there.
> I doubt it's a 1000 footer mast though, so I wonder how much signal will
> actually get to the primary urban target area ?
>
> My bet on getting the local FM stations back, is to use Eston Nab
>
> http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/gallerypage.php?txid=759

Well, yes and no. Eston will cover Teesside and most of the way to the
Tyne, and it <may> cover parts of the northern river valleys in N Yorks,
but anything on the eastern side or Wolds - such as Whitby and Helmsley
- is a non-starter. Fortunately much of the Vale of York is also covered
by the relay at Woolmoor east of Thirsk. I suppose Whitby might just be
able to be redirected to Olivers Mount at Scarborough (with luck) but
that might not please commercial stations if the 'wrong' adverts are
broadcast (as was the case when Morbourn burnt down.)

As I recall, when you have any tubular structure up in a wind you get
turbulence as the air tries to wrap around the mast and comes away forming
low and high pressure areas. The mast I used to have on my chimney was a
capped 2in diameter one with a rotator on it and in certain winds it would
transmit a tone to the house structure, which kept me awake some nights, so
even small masts can have unexpected quirks.
Brian

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"Woody" <harrogate3@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:seujg2$jdc$1@dont-email.me...
> On Tue 10/08/2021 16:56, Mark Carver wrote:
>> On 10/08/2021 16:42, NY wrote:
>>> "Mark Carver" <mark.carver@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
>>> news:infki3F6j7qU1@mid.individual.net...
>>>> On 10/08/2021 16:25, NY wrote:
>>>>> "Mark Carver" <mark.carver@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
>>>>> news:infe26F59hmU1@mid.individual.net...
>>>>>> On 10/08/2021 14:31, Andy Burns wrote:
>>>>>>> Mark Carver wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Or it could be the building, going by this picture
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/19503528.bilsdale-tv-mast-fire-north-york-moors/
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Keep scrolling down ...
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> Oh, my. Nothing that can be done there. Stand 1000ft away and watch
>>>>>
>>>>> Does the second picture, of smoke issuing from the top of the mast,
>>>>> necessarily mean that the mast and its cables are on fire? Could it be
>>>>> that the hollow mast is acting as a chimney, venting smoke from the
>>>>> transmitter building below?
>>>>
>>>> It'll be very hot smoke, and coating whatever is inside the mast with
>>>> all sorts of nasty stuff
>>>
>>> Do transmitter sites tend to keep the transmitters and the aerials
>>> separate so a fire in one doesn't vent hot smoke into the other?
>>
>> Bilsdale (like Mendip, Belmont, Winter Hill, Waltham, and the ill fated
>> Emley mast) are enclosed tubular steel construction.
>>
>> Quite unstable in certain conditions as two of those masts have had
>> collapses (as have similar masts in Germany and The Netherlands)
>>
>> There's no pictures of the mast base available on mb21, but Waltham's
>> arrangement might provide a clue, scroll down
>>
>> http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/gallerypage.php?txid=679&pageid=164
>
> The tower base is not directly attached to the building so if smoke is
> getting up there it is either being piped up the cables of the cables
> themselves are on fire. I think the original 6�" aluminium outer cables
> would have been replaced ta DSO for smaller all copper co-ax, but if there
> is any ally left, well think of Morbourn and the Falklands.....
>

Probably depends on the structural damage assessment. It may be just a lot
simpler to run new cables up the mast and have done with it.
Brian

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"williamwright" <wrightsaerials@f2s.com> wrote in message
news:ingnq4Fddo2U3@mid.individual.net...
> On 10/08/2021 20:28, Mark Carver wrote:
>>>
>>> At Eitshal they emptied the transmitter room and a local builder steam
>>> cleaned it I believe.
>>>
>> Could be fun doing that inside a 1000 ft long, 6 ft diameter metal tube !
>
> Especially as it's vertical.
>
> Bill

Probably cos the talking head was safely elsewhere and the picture was not
of the actual event at that time?
Brian

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"Jeff Layman" <jmlayman@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:seubrn$4a2$1@dont-email.me...
> On 10/08/2021 14:26, Mark Carver wrote:
>> On 10/08/2021 14:02, Andy Burns wrote:
>>> Mark Carver wrote:
>>>
>>>> Reports that there is a fire there ?
>>>
>>> <https://twitter.com/NorthYorksFire/status/1425081443001188364>
>>
>> Implies a fire inside the mast. That won't end well (particularly as
>> Bilsdale is a tubular design)
>>
>> This happened to a similar mast in The Netherlands a while back
>>
>> https://youtu.be/Uj5SXwZyvEI?t=92
>
> What a crap piece of reporting! It just shows the "talking head" whilst
> the action goes on off picture. Why they didn't have the voice going in
> the background whilst the camera focused on the mast fire I don't
> understand.
>
> --
>
> Jeff

On 11/08/2021 09:48, Woody wrote:
> On Wed 11/08/2021 09:02, Mark Carver wrote:
>> On 11/08/2021 08:49, MB wrote:
>>> On 11/08/2021 02:33, williamwright wrote:
>>>> Why not simply equip them with freesat dishes?
>>>
>>> How many thousand Freesat dishes can you install per day?
>>>
>>> They have managed to restore services fairly quickly on previous
>>> occasions and now better equipped with emergency transmitters, masts
>>> etc.
>>>
>>>
>> I gather Arqiva have a containerised Tx set and a mast on the way there.
>> I doubt it's a 1000 footer mast though, so I wonder how much signal
>> will actually get to the primary urban target area ?
>>
>> My bet on getting the local FM stations back, is to use Eston Nab
>>
>> http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/gallerypage.php?txid=759
>
> Well, yes and no. Eston will cover Teesside and most of the way to the
> Tyne, and it <may> cover parts of the northern river valleys in N
> Yorks, but anything on the eastern side or Wolds - such as Whitby and
> Helmsley - is a non-starter. Fortunately much of the Vale of York is
> also covered by the relay at Woolmoor east of Thirsk. I suppose Whitby
> might just be able to be redirected to Olivers Mount at Scarborough
> (with luck) but that might not please commercial stations if the
> 'wrong' adverts are broadcast (as was the case when Morbourn burnt down.)

I agree, but Eston Nab will get a large urban area back quickly, and for
not too much effort.
I'm not suggesting it as a permanent solution. What would you suggest
for the four FM stations ?

In fact Smooth FM uses Eston and Burnhope to cover the NE region, rather
than Bilsdale and Pontop/Burhope anyway.

That is probably a spell chucker at work. I don't know, I'd have expected
given the remote locations of these sites that a strike was going to happen
sooner or later and that the case of fire in such a situation would be
minimised. After all as somebody who was within 20 feet of a lightning
strike back in the 80s, it did not set that building alight, but made an
impressive hole in the roof an fried every electronic device inside, even
the fork lift truck charger.
Brian

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"NY" <me@privacy.invalid> wrote in message
news:seu7ih$de1$1@dont-email.me...
> "Mark Carver" <mark.carver@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
> news:infaqjF4it6U1@mid.individual.net...
>> Reports that there is a fire there ?
>
> Richmondshire Today News is saying that it was due to a lightning (*)
> strike.
>
> https://www.richmondshiretoday.co.uk/major-fire-at-bilsdale-transmitter-hits-tv-and-radio-services/
>
> So probably any equipment that survives the fire will have been fried by
> the
> lightning.
>
>
> (*) Except they spell it "lightening" (opposite of "darkening") ;-)

That is not actually proof though, I've seen almost instant lightening in
other countries almost out of a clear blue sky.
Has to do with air turbulence apparently.
Brian

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"Mark Carver" <mark.carver@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:infm3aF6tkbU1@mid.individual.net...
> On 10/08/2021 16:56, NY wrote:
>> "Mark Carver" <mark.carver@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
>> news:infaqjF4it6U1@mid.individual.net...
>>> Reports that there is a fire there ?
>>
>> Richmondshire Today News is saying that it was due to a lightning (*)
>> strike.
>>
>> https://www.richmondshiretoday.co.uk/major-fire-at-bilsdale-transmitter-hits-tv-and-radio-services/
>>
>> So probably any equipment that survives the fire will have been fried by
>> the
>> lightning.
>
> I don't think so. Read the article again . It's just what some random
> person on Twitter said.
>
> Met Office radar shows no heavy showers in the area until well after the
> event
>

On 11/08/2021 09:55, Brian Gaff (Sofa) wrote:
> Probably depends on the structural damage assessment. It may be just a lot
> simpler to run new cables up the mast and have done with it.
> Brian
>
You've still got to get the old ones out. The tube will be full of
feeders. The TV feeders will be solid metal, about 150mm diameter too.

"Brian Gaff (Sofa)" <briang1@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:sf03d8$jut$1@dont-email.me...
> Probably cos the talking head was safely elsewhere and the picture was not
> of the actual event at that time?

It wasn't that. The camera was pointing at the talking head and suddenly
there was loud noise and the camera panned round about 90 degrees to show
the top section of the mast collapsing, and then panned back to the talking
head. Maybe the cameraman drew the short straw when the news crews were
setting up for the spokesman's report - maybe other crews actually managed
to position themselves so they got a shot of the spokesman with the
transmitter in the background.

On 11/08/2021 10:41, NY wrote:
> "Brian Gaff (Sofa)" <briang1@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:sf03d8$jut$1@dont-email.me...
>> Probably cos the talking head was safely elsewhere and the picture
>> was not of the actual event at that time?
>
> It wasn't that. The camera was pointing at the talking head and
> suddenly there was loud noise and the camera panned round about 90
> degrees to show the top section of the mast collapsing, and then
> panned back to the talking head. Maybe the cameraman drew the short
> straw when the news crews were setting up for the spokesman's report -
> maybe other crews actually managed to position themselves so they got
> a shot of the spokesman with the transmitter in the background.

I don't think anyone was expecting it to collapse !

"Brian Gaff (Sofa)" <briang1@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:sf02lv$fr6$1@dont-email.me...
> Well I could see when the Emley Moor collapse happened, the footage was a
> bit indistinct in those days, but the aftermath spoke very loudly,
> considering the weather they get up there.

When we lived near Leeds, I remember I was staying with my grandparents (in
Ossett) when the mast came down. My grandpa said "let's go and have a look
at that" so he bundled my grandma and me into his little Hillman Imp and we
drove up into the hills to see the remains of the mast strewn across a
field.

My grandpa had always been one for following fire engines etc to
rubberneck ;-) He lived close enough to the fire station that he could hear
the siren go off to call in the retained fire-fighters, so he'd sometimes
"happen" to be driving past the fire station when the fire engines went out
and so "happen" to follow them ;-) He probably got the habit from his father
(my great grandfather, whom I never knew) who reportedly went to gawp at a
fire at a zoo in which a lot of animals were sadly killed, and my grandpa
told the story of his father carrying around the skin of an alligator from
the fire which he was inclined to produce from his pocket when he was
telling people the story of what he'd seen.

"Dickie mint" <richard_taylor01@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:ing7bcFad8mU1@mid.individual.net...
> On 10/08/2021 18:28, tony sayer wrote:
> snip
>> No reported lightning in the area that I can see of!..
>>
>
> Unless I'm misusing it, or as its Beta it's not working there is no
> Lightning shown in the area on Lightningmaps.org!
>
> http://www.lightningmaps.org/?lang=en#m=oss;t=3;s=0;o=0;b=0.00;ts=0;y=54.3591;x=-1.1464;z=15;d=2;dl=2;dc=0;tsc=1;ts24=1;ar;as=21-08-10T06;

I obviously placed too much reliance on the reports in the Richmondshire
News article where someone had mentioned a lightning strike, made all the
more plausible because I could hear what *sounded* like occasional rumbles
of distant thunder near where I live in Driffield. I should have checked
Rain Alarm (which shows lightning as well as rain clouds) instead of
assuming that if there was (apparently) a storm near me, there may have been
others in the Bilsdale area.

Let's hope Bilsdale's mast *is* structurally sound (there were doubts about
this) after the fire, and the equipment and cables can be replaced fairly
quickly. Most people in my village seem to have their aerials pointing at
Belmont, but I put out an alert on the village Facebook page for the benefit
of anyone who may have their aerial pointing at Bilsdale - which some
reception sites actually recommend in preference to Belmont for my location.

"Mark Carver" <mark.carver@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:inhkl5Fj2rgU1@mid.individual.net...
> On 11/08/2021 10:41, NY wrote:
>> "Brian Gaff (Sofa)" <briang1@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
>> news:sf03d8$jut$1@dont-email.me...
>>> Probably cos the talking head was safely elsewhere and the picture was
>>> not of the actual event at that time?
>>
>> It wasn't that. The camera was pointing at the talking head and suddenly
>> there was loud noise and the camera panned round about 90 degrees to show
>> the top section of the mast collapsing, and then panned back to the
>> talking head. Maybe the cameraman drew the short straw when the news
>> crews were setting up for the spokesman's report - maybe other crews
>> actually managed to position themselves so they got a shot of the
>> spokesman with the transmitter in the background.
>
> I don't think anyone was expecting it to collapse !

It reminds me of the legendary report by Richard "Countdown" Whitely for
Calendar news about the collapse of the Holbeck Hall hotel in Scarborough
due to a landslide. I've seen a recording of the footage as the camera was
setting up a live link to the studio, and a few chimneys started to collapse
just as he was completing his final checks with the studio before he went
live. And within about 10 seconds of the start of the programme and his
on-the-spot report, a large segment of the building collapsed in the
background, right on cue.

On 11/08/2021 09:35, Brian Gaff (Sofa) wrote:
> Whatever it is, one might expect that fire prevention and extinguishing
> capabilities on site might have shut stuff down and put it out pdq, given
> its location.
> Brian

Not uptodate with current practice but I have only known diesel rooms to
have automatic fire protection systems and I think some of those were
removed.

On 11/08/2021 10:00, Mark Carver wrote:
> I'm not suggesting it as a permanent solution. What would you suggest
> for the four FM stations ?

Put in some more DAB relays and get people to buy DAB radios. It would
be a lot less complicated than a VHF FM relay.

In article <sf06mv$8ro$1@dont-email.me>, NY <me@privacy.invalid> wrote:
> "Mark Carver" <mark.carver@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
> news:inhkl5Fj2rgU1@mid.individual.net...
> > On 11/08/2021 10:41, NY wrote:
> >> "Brian Gaff (Sofa)" <briang1@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
> >> news:sf03d8$jut$1@dont-email.me...
> >>> Probably cos the talking head was safely elsewhere and the picture
> >>> was not of the actual event at that time?
> >>
> >> It wasn't that. The camera was pointing at the talking head and
> >> suddenly there was loud noise and the camera panned round about 90
> >> degrees to show the top section of the mast collapsing, and then
> >> panned back to the talking head. Maybe the cameraman drew the short
> >> straw when the news crews were setting up for the spokesman's report
> >> - maybe other crews actually managed to position themselves so they
> >> got a shot of the spokesman with the transmitter in the background.
> >
> > I don't think anyone was expecting it to collapse !

> It reminds me of the legendary report by Richard "Countdown" Whitely for
> Calendar news about the collapse of the Holbeck Hall hotel in Scarborough
> due to a landslide. I've seen a recording of the footage as the camera
> was setting up a live link to the studio, and a few chimneys started to
> collapse just as he was completing his final checks with the studio
> before he went live. And within about 10 seconds of the start of the
> programme and his on-the-spot report, a large segment of the building
> collapsed in the background, right on cue.

and there's tha Tacoma suspnsion bridge from 1940!

--
from KT24 in Surrey, England
"I'd rather die of exhaustion than die of boredom" Thomas Carlyle

"charles" <charles@candehope.me.uk> wrote in message
news:595a470b2acharles@candehope.me.uk...
> In article <sf06mv$8ro$1@dont-email.me>, NY <me@privacy.invalid> wrote:
>> "Mark Carver" <mark.carver@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
>> news:inhkl5Fj2rgU1@mid.individual.net...
>> > On 11/08/2021 10:41, NY wrote:
>> >> "Brian Gaff (Sofa)" <briang1@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
>> >> news:sf03d8$jut$1@dont-email.me...
>> >>> Probably cos the talking head was safely elsewhere and the picture
>> >>> was not of the actual event at that time?
>> >>
>> >> It wasn't that. The camera was pointing at the talking head and
>> >> suddenly there was loud noise and the camera panned round about 90
>> >> degrees to show the top section of the mast collapsing, and then
>> >> panned back to the talking head. Maybe the cameraman drew the short
>> >> straw when the news crews were setting up for the spokesman's report
>> >> - maybe other crews actually managed to position themselves so they
>> >> got a shot of the spokesman with the transmitter in the background.
>> >
>> > I don't think anyone was expecting it to collapse !
>
>
>> It reminds me of the legendary report by Richard "Countdown" Whitely for
>> Calendar news about the collapse of the Holbeck Hall hotel in Scarborough
>> due to a landslide. I've seen a recording of the footage as the camera
>> was setting up a live link to the studio, and a few chimneys started to
>> collapse just as he was completing his final checks with the studio
>> before he went live. And within about 10 seconds of the start of the
>> programme and his on-the-spot report, a large segment of the building
>> collapsed in the background, right on cue.
>
> and there's tha Tacoma suspnsion bridge from 1940!

Yes, although I understand that it had been oscillating for a while, so it
was just a case of setting up a camera somewhere safe and waiting things got
"interesting". In those days, they'd need to ration the film to prevent them
running out just at the crucial moment, but nowadays they could just keep
capturing until they got the best shots - how big is the HDD on a typical
news camera, in terms of recording time?

On 11/08/2021 11:22, MB wrote:
> On 11/08/2021 10:00, Mark Carver wrote:
>> I'm not suggesting it as a permanent solution. What would you suggest
>> for the four FM stations ?
>
> Put in some more DAB relays and get people to buy DAB radios.  It would
> be a lot less complicated than a VHF FM relay.

AIUI DAB isn't literally just relayed.
It's fed by satellite and presumably a GPS clock is used to synchronise
it. But still fairly easy to do.

--
Brian Gregory (in England).

"Mark Carver" <mark.carver@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:infaqjF4it6U1@mid.individual.net...
> Reports that there is a fire there ?

Looks as if ukfree.tv can predict the future.
https://ukfree.tv/transmitters/tv/Bilsdale ("Are there any planned
engineering works or unexpected transmitter faults on the Bilsdale (North
Yorkshire, England) mast?") says

"Bilsdale transmitter - Bilsdale transmitter: Possible effect on TV
reception week commencing 09/08/2021 Possible Pixelation or flickering on
some or all channels"

So they anticipated a poor signal starting the day *before* the fire... Hmm.

I wonder if engineers were doing any work on the transmitters when the fire
occurred. Might that just possibly be the cause?

Are transmitter buildings normally unstaffed? Is it significant that an
engineer was on site to be able to report the fire?

On 11/08/2021 13:29, NY wrote:
> "Mark Carver" <mark.carver@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
> news:infaqjF4it6U1@mid.individual.net...
>> Reports that there is a fire there ?
>
> Looks as if ukfree.tv can predict the future.
> https://ukfree.tv/transmitters/tv/Bilsdale ("Are there any planned
> engineering works or unexpected transmitter faults on the Bilsdale
> (North Yorkshire, England) mast?") says
>
> "Bilsdale transmitter - Bilsdale transmitter: Possible effect on TV
> reception week commencing 09/08/2021 Possible Pixelation or flickering
> on some or all channels"
>
> So they anticipated a poor signal starting the day *before* the fire...
> Hmm.
>
> I wonder if engineers were doing any work on the transmitters when the
> fire occurred. Might that just possibly be the cause?
>
> Are transmitter buildings normally unstaffed? Is it significant that an
> engineer was on site to be able to report the fire?

https://www.freeview.co.uk/corporate/platform-management/planned-engineering-works

Rather a lot of transmitters undergoing engineering works this week.......

Is this a catchup of works delayed by COVID?

Where are all the skilled staff coming from to do all this work in 1 week?

> Are transmitter buildings normally unstaffed?

As I understand it, Txes are unmanned.

There is a national monitoring centre at Emley Moor that is manned 24/7....

> Is it significant that an engineer was on site to be able to report
the fire?

Yes, the press have reported that it was an engineer on site who made
the initial call to the fire service.

In uk.tech.broadcast NY <me@privacy.invalid> wrote:
> "Bilsdale transmitter - Bilsdale transmitter: Possible effect on TV
> reception week commencing 09/08/2021 Possible Pixelation or flickering on
> some or all channels"
>
> So they anticipated a poor signal starting the day *before* the fire... Hmm.

The same information is on the Freeview planned engineering works page:
https://www.freeview.co.uk/corporate/platform-management/planned-engineering-works

which suggests they were doing *something* this week. Also:
https://www.richmondshiretoday.co.uk/temporary-equipment-to-be-used-to-restore-tv-and-radio-after-bilsdale-transmitter-fire/

A spokesperson said: “The initial call came at 13:19 from an engineer
working at the transmitter, stating that he believed the mast was on fire
due to smoke coming from below the first stay level (approximately 50 – 60
metres up).

“Calls were also received from members of the public who could see the smoke
from some distance.

“North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service worked to control the fire in
difficult circumstances and extinguished a fire in a single-storey stone
building and a 315ft transmitter mast.

“Only one building in a complex of four was affected and there are concerns
about the structural integrity of the mast.

confirming it does seem to have been the mast itself on fire.

Theo