Firefighters have been praised for their quick response after a blaze broke out in a high-rise building in Salford.
The fire broke out in a flat on the 10th floor at Mulberry Court, near the Salford precinct, at around 8.10am this morning (Tuesday). A huge emergency services response was sent to the scene, including five fire engines, multiple police vehicles and several ambulance and incident response vehicles.
Dramatic video footage showed flames through the window of the flat, while huge plumes of smoke billowed from the building. 88 flats in the building were quickly evacuated as firefighters tackled the blaze.
READ MORE: Dramatic moment fire tears through high-rise flat as all residents safely rescued
Luckily, no-one was injured. The fire was contained to the one flat, a spokesperson for the fire service confirmed.
The fire alarms in the building - which is looked after by Salix Homes - 'performed as expected'. Residents were gradually let back into their homes as each floor was assessed by crews.
Ben Levy, Area Manager at Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, praised firefighters for their swift response. He said in a statement: "At 8.10am on 27 December 2022, we received the first of a number of calls about a high-rise building fire at Mulberry Court, Salford.
"Our firefighters were quickly on scene and at the height of the response we had five fire engines and an aerial ladder platform in attendance. Firefighters, using breathing apparatus, tackled what was an intense fire in a flat on the tenth floor, bringing it under control using water jets.
"They successfully contained the fire to the tenth floor, but as a precaution 88 flats in the building were evacuated. Thankfully, no injuries have been reported and our fire safety officer, who is working closely with Salix Homes, has confirmed that the building performed as expected.
"Residents have started to return to their homes, and we are working with Salix Homes to reassure them. Given the severity of this fire and this being a high-rise building, I’m proud of our firefighters and their swift and safe response to protect people.
"An investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing." Readers of the Manchester Evening News also praised emergency services for the quick response.
On Facebook, Gill Hunter commented: "Most of us are now allowed back into our homes .. thankfully no one was hurt .. can't thank emergency services enough."
Hazel Rodgers wrote: "Well done to the emergency services, thank goodness everyone was safe."
Sharon Makin said: "Thankfully no casualties - great response from the emergency services."
In a statement, Sue Sutton, chief executive at Salix Homes, said: "We can confirm a fire broke shortly after 8am at Mulberry Court in Salford this morning (Tuesday, December 27). Fire crews attended and extinguished the fire, which was contained to a flat on the 10th floor of the building.
"The building was safely evacuated and thankfully no one was injured. We set up an emergency refuge for affected residents at neighbouring Sycamore Court and at our offices in Weaste.
"The safety of our residents is our primary concern and we would like to reassure all our residents that the fire alarm system activated as it is designed to, along with the additional fire safety measures we have in place on the block. In line with the Stay Safe policy in operation at the building, the alarm is designed to sound in the area affected by fire.
"The fire service evacuated the rest of the building as a precautionary measure. Some residents were allowed back in the building shortly after 10.30am and we are supporting residents who have still been unable to return to their homes.
"We are continuing to work with Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service to determine the cause of the blaze."
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