Salford Mulberry Court high-rise fire controlled

Firefighters have been praised for their efforts in controlling a flat fire in a high-rise building in Salford on 27 December.

Ben Levy, Area Manager at Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, said: “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.”

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.”

Article Published: 27/12/2022 13:13 PM