Investigations to begin into cause of Hotspur Press fire
The Manchester city centre landmark was destroyed in a blaze on Monday
Firefighters have confirmed an investigation is due to begin into the cause of a fire which ripped through an historic building in Manchester city centre.
The Hotspur Press building on Cambridge Road was destroyed in the blaze, which spread to a nearby apartment block and brought trains to a halt at Oxford Road.
In an update, Greater Manchester Fire and Recue confirmed teams were still tackling pockets of the fire, but it was mostly under control.
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) said, “Yesterday afternoon (Monday 23 June) at around 4:30pm, firefighters were called to a major fire at the site of the Hotspur Press building on Cambridge Street in Manchester city centre. This was declared a major incident.
“Firefighters have been working hard overnight to extinguish the fire. At the height of the blaze, over 20 fire engines, two aerial units and over 100 firefighters were working at the scene in warm and humid conditions.
“Crews will be joined by specialist fire officers later this morning to begin investigating the cause of the fire, as well as assessing the extent of the structural damage to the building.
“We’d like to thank the public for allowing us to get on with the job last night under very challenging conditions.”
Oxford Road station and railway lines have since reopened, but residents in a block of apartments are still waiting to be told when they can return home.