Crewe fire: 150 people evacuated as blaze causes retirement complex to collapse
Firefighters are working to contain the fire at a retirement complex in Crewe which caused the building to partially collapse.
Friday 9 August 2019 22:15, UK
Around 150 residents of a retirement complex have been evacuated from their homes after the building was ravaged by fire, police said.
Firefighters in Crewe have been battling through the night to stop the blaze from spreading, with people living in nearby homes also asked to leave due to the flames and smoke.
Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service said it was called at 4.30pm on Thursday to reports of the blaze at the Beechmere complex in Rolls Avenue.
By 10pm, 16 fire crews from Cheshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire and Merseyside were at the scene, and a spokesman said the building had sustained "significant damage and has partially collapsed".
The service confirmed to Paste BN that members of the public were helping to evacuate residents from the building by the time the crews arrived on the scene.
Although the emergency plans for the building set out that residents 'stay put', the fire commander made the decision to ensure everyone in the building was evacuated.
The scale of the fire meant despite each fire engine carrying 1800 litres, firefighters also had to use water from a local brook and the mains supply.
Police were called to assist with the incident, and said a number of the residents were relocated to crisis accommodation, while others were taken to an emergency rest centre.
A small number were taken to hospital to be checked over.
People living nearby were urged to keep their windows and doors closed, while several roads in the area were closed.
Fire commander Neil Griffiths said: "This is a substantial fire in a very large and complex building. More than 70 firefighters have been at the scene overnight tackling the blaze - the response effort has been immense and I want to thank each and every one of them.
"Our efforts have been hampered by the weather, the layout of the site and the access to it but I want to reassure everyone that we are doing all that we can to bring the fire under control as quickly as possible."
Within minutes of the blaze taking hold, local residents had turned up to offer support, donate items and provide lifts for some of those affected by the incident.
Superintendent Pete Crowcroft said: "This is a very large fire in a building that is at the heart of the community.
"Naturally, this will have a significant impact on those living close by and they will clearly be concerned for all those affected.
"But the response shown last night within minutes of the incident being reported was nothing short of remarkable and I want to thank every single person who has helped or offered help in some way.
"Your kind hearted gesture will have been very much appreciated by everyone involved and I'm sure will have brought some comfort to the residents affected by the fire."
A JustGiving page for residents of the retirement home has been set up by driving instructors in the area, who say they will be donating part of their wages for the next week.
A number of collection points for donations of clothing, towels, bedding and toiletries have been set up at the Eight Farmers and Four Eagles pubs, Mecca Bingo, Rainbow Day Nursery, Cumberland Arena, VWJ Earthmoving and Crewe Town FC.
More than 12 hours after the fire started, firefighters remained at the scene and are likely to stay today and into the weekend.