60 Firefighters Tackle Blaze At Radcliffe Factory

24 August 2012, 11:41 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service spent last night tackling a blaze at a factory in Radcliffe.

The fire started at 9:45pm. Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service received the first of a large number of calls reporting smoke coming from a derelict building on Bury Road, Radcliffe.

The first crews at the scene from Bury and Whitefield fire stations demanded more crews to deal with the out of control fire in a number of industrial buildings.

10 engines, two aerial appliances and a number of specialist vehicles were used by the 60 firefighters.

At the beginning, there was a small explosion when a large gas pipe ruptured, creating a gas flare and causing a collapse in a small part of the buildings.

100 houses near to the site were temporarily evacuated and were moved to an emergency rest centre.

Station Manager Paul Duggan said: “We were faced with a very busy scene with a rapidly developing fire.

“The heat was such that it cracked windows in the flats opposite.

“All the residents really worked with us to make sure it was resolved safely.”

Resident Anthony Lingard was on his way home when he saw the fire taking hold behind his house.

Anthony said: “We saw this huge column of smoke at the factory and, as it's behind our house, we rushed home to make sure everything was ok.”

Anthony was one of the residents who spent the night at the civic hall while firefighters attacked the blaze.

A number of roads next to the site were closed for safety and are likely to remain closed for some time.