Fire service responds to Storm Christoph

FIRE crews and officers from across Greater Manchester have been working throughout the night to support residents affected by Storm Christoph.  

Between 5pm yesterday (Wednesday 20 January) and 6am this morning (Thursday 21 January) Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) received 121 calls and attended 84 incidents, including a number of localised flooding incidents across the city-region.  

At an incident in Radcliffe at 1.33pm, firefighters from Bolton Central worked hard to stop the flood water, caused by a nearby brook that had burst its banks, affecting a number of small businesses in Vale Street.

Crews from Bolton Central used specialist equipment to stop the flood water affecting a number of small businesses and were in attendance until the early hours of this morning. 

Crews from Cheadle, Wythenshawe, Offerton, also attended an incident where a car had driven into standing water on a roadway near Manchester Airport at 10.42pm.

Firefighters made the vehicle safe using water rescue equipment.

GMFRS also supported Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service overnight to deal with a range of incidents.

Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Dawn Docx said: “It’s been an incredibly busy night for our firefighters and throughout yesterday. Partners across Greater Manchester were preparing for the worst and hoping for the best.  

“Over the past couple of days, GMFRS has been working with our partners to prepare and gather resources together, ensuring the right equipment was on hand and ensuring crews were in the right location to support several incidents across the city-region.  

“A big thank you goes out to all our firefighters who have worked tremendously hard, along with partner agencies, to keep the public safe.” 

GMFRS is one of the many partners who have been working in the Didsbury area of Manchester to support the multi-agency response. 

Firefighters from across the Service worked closely with Greater Manchester Police officers to visit over 1,700 homes to inform residents of the ongoing situation and share safety advice.  

A GMFRS High Volume Pump crew and tactical advisor also worked alongside the Environment Agency to mitigate the effects of any floodwater in the Palatine Road area.

At 8.35am yesterday, crews called to Lumms Lane, Clifton in Swinton where 12 cars were marooned in 2 feet of water after drivers attempted to travel through flood water. Appliances from Agecoft and Salford attended along with the Technical Rescue Unit and water rescue unit.

Then at 9.41am to Robin Park Road, Wigan, crews assisted police as a woman was stuck in her car with water up to the bonnet. Crews managed to push the car onto dry land and the incident was handed over to the council and highways.

DCFO Docx continued: “Our advice remains the same, please take extra care if you are out on the roads today and remember to only travel if it’s essential. If water is above ankle deep, do not even try to go through it and find an alternative route.

“Please only call 999 in an emergency, for all flood related enquiries please contact Floodline by phoning 0345 988 1188 or 0845 988 1188, or if you are concerned about flooding in your area, contact your local council.

“A cold weather warning is also in place for the North West from Thursday morning until Monday and with people spending more time in their homes, I would urge people to take extra care when using heaters, open fires and candles. Ensure you have a working smoke alarm and to check the batteries regularly – if there is a fire in your home, this could save your life.”

21/01/2021 11:18 AM