Building on fire in Middleton to be demolished

A building on fire in Middleton will gradually be demolished.

At around 4.50pm on Wednesday (June 18) GMFRS were called to a fire involving a commercial storage premises in Middleton.

A number of fire engines from across Greater Manchester and multiple specialist appliances have attended to tackle the fire alongside partner agencies.

Firefighters have been tackling the fire externally due to the danger posed by the contents and structure of the building. However, a decision has now been made alongside partners and the building owners to demolish the building in order to safely extinguish the fire.

Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Barry Moore, said:

“Crews have been working incredibly hard for long hours in tough conditions to contain this complex fire and reduce any risk to the public.

“Due to the nature of the building, and the danger posed by its contents and structure, firefighters have been tackling the fire externally to mitigate any risk to life. The decision has now been taken alongside the building owners and partner agencies to gradually demolish the building so firefighters can safely access and extinguish the fire and bring this incident to a safe conclusion.

“We would like to thank local businesses and residents for their understanding while crews have worked to resolve this incident and express our sympathies to anyone who has lost valuable items in this fire.”

Road closures will remain in place while the demolition takes place, with nearby residents asked to keep their doors and windows closed.

Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.