Residents evacuated after a large fire at an industrial site in Greenfield have been allowed to return to their homes, as fire crews continue to work on making the area safe.
Blaze at Wellington Industrial Park
The fire broke out at Wellington Industrial Park, off Chew Valley Road in Greenfield, at around 7.45am on Sunday 16 August. More than 10 fire engines, along with aerial ladder units and specialist appliances from across Greater Manchester, were mobilised to the scene. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used hose reels and jets to extinguish the fire.
About 45 homes on nearby Knoll Close and Wellington Road were evacuated as a precaution. Those evacuated were taken to the Satellite Centre as emergency services worked throughout the day. A stretch of Wellington Road remains closed in both directions from Chew Valley Road to Halls Way.
Residents return home
In an update issued today, a Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) spokesperson said: "About 45 homes on nearby streets were evacuated as a precaution. Residents have now returned to their homes, with fire crews using gas detectors to ensure it was safe to return. Our crews remained at the scene overnight, continuing their work alongside partners to make the site safe."
The spokesperson added that crews were called "just after 7.45am on Sunday 16 August" to reports of a fire at the industrial park, which involved "a large fire within an industrial building."
Community support at Satellite Centre
On Sunday, Coun Ellen Bishop said around 15 people had used the Satellite Centre, which offered water and food, after being evacuated. "All together we’ve probably had ten to fifteen people come in," she said. "I was surprised by it this morning. I was woken up by people asking if we could open up the centre so people could come in."
She added: "We’ve had people coming down for water and food. We’ve been feeding people and liaising with the emergency services and bringing them drinks. We’re just providing people a bit of a hub really but things have calmed down a bit now." Other residents in the area told the Manchester Evening News that they made their way to the centre because their water supplies had been cut off due to the fire. The Tesco Greenfield store was temporarily closed due to the fire before it reopened at around 1.30pm.
