Overview
- Following Friday’s fire at about 1:25 pm, crews say the blaze is now contained to the Clarence Avenue site and hotspots are being damped down.
- Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue mobilised up to 12 engines with aerial platforms and specialist teams, working with police, ambulance and Hazardous Area Response Teams.
- Reports of nearby chemical and oil drums and a ruptured gas main led crews to adjust tactics, and Cadent engineers worked to isolate the gas.
- The roof of the factory collapsed during operations, which limited access but let firefighters pour water from above.
- Several hundred people were evacuated, roads closed around Broadoak Business Park, and residents were told to keep windows shut as thick black smoke spread for miles, even visible from Snowdon, with no injuries reported.