FIREFIGHTERS are asking residents to take care with electrical appliances after two house fires in one day caused by heaters.

On Friday, July 14, crews were called to Pryce Avenue, Wigan, at 8.41am then another crew were called to Count Street, Rochdale, at 2pm.

On both occasions the fires are believed to have been started accidentally by portable heaters setting fire to furniture close by.

Fire investigators found that the tragic fire that killed a mother and her three children in Bolton on Saturday, July 8 was also likely to have been caused by a heater that was accidentally switched on.

Officers from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and Greater Manchester Police carried out a joint investigation in Rosamond Street and it is believed that the fire was caused accidentally by a halogen heater in the living room at the front of the house.

Chair of the Fire Committee, Cllr David Acton, said: “GMFRS has seen a number of fire recently that appear to have been caused by heaters, including the terribly sad incident in...

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WHILE on holiday this summer, a firefighter who works at Farnworth Community Fire Station saved a little girl’s life – all thanks to training undertaken while working for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service. 

Firefighter Adam Tormey was enjoying his family holiday and was at a theme park on the afternoon of June 21 when a girl started to choke. 

Adam, who became a firefighter in 2015, said: “The incident took place at about 2pm at Flambards Theme Park in Helston, Cornwall. We had just had lunch and I was walking towards the rides with my four- year-old son, with my wife and daughter following about 50 metres behind. I heard my wife shout my name so I called back. A few moments later she shouted again and I heard her say ‘child choking’. 

“I ran towards her and as I turned the corner a man pretty much threw his daughter, who I think was around three of four-years-old, into my arms. I had a quick look at her face - her lips were blue and her eyes were rolling back in her head. Her body was limp and she...

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RESIDENTS living in apartment blocks are being urged to take extra care when using barbecues following two flat fires in Manchester in less than a week.

Firefighters were called to tower blocks in Manchester at 2.11am on Wednesday, July 12 and at 9.57pm on Thursday, July 6 after reports of balconies on fire.

On both occasions crews found barbecues had been used on the wooden balconies.

Station Manager Dave Baxter said: “Please only use barbecues somewhere flat, away from anything flammable and especially not on a surface that will catch fire. Always keep a bucket of water nearby just in case the barbecue gets out of hand and check barbecues are fully extinguished before leaving your flat or going to bed.

“Using a barbecue in your high rise building may invalidate your lease and cause significant damage to yours and others property. On these occasions crews quickly tackled the blaze before it had chance to spread, but in previous cases people have had to leave their homes for significant periods of time. Don’t...

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A fresh warning has come for people to not put themselves at risk by entering streams or water.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service is giving the warning following a call on Thursday, July 6, to rescue a dog from a stream.

Two crews from Ramsbottom and Whitefield along with the water incident unit from Heywood rescued the dog from a culvert on Palatine Drive, Bury.

Station Manager Daniel Marshall said: “Please never enter streams, open water or anywhere that doesn’t have a lifeguard present.

“You can never be certain of the depth of the water, it is a lot colder than you expect and you can easily be swept away.”

Councillor David Acton, Chair of the Fire Committee, said: “Our firefighters work extremely hard to keep everyone in Greater Manchester safe and this incident was no different.

“Water can be extremely dangerous, with culverts giving risk of a build-up of gases, so please never enter them. Our crews are highly trained to enter dangerous situations like this one so please leave it to the...

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ROCHDALE Community Fire Station hosted the FireTeam pass out display last week which marked the end of the 12 week course which saw children from the Brownhill Learning Community gain Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network (ASDAN) qualifications.

The children demonstrated what they had learnt on the course including hose running, ladder skills and using hydrants for a healthy crowd of firefighters, school staff, visitors and parents.

The course allowed the children some real life hands on experience of being a firefighter and as part of the pass out they were tasked with tackling a fire on the station yard.

The students also showed off their ladder skills and wore breathing apparatus to rescue a casualty from the tower before one of the children showed the crowd how to perform CPR on the casualty.

The pass out was rounded off with a traditional parade in front of the spectators where each child gave a short speech about what they had learnt over the 12 weeks.

Station Manager Mark Doggett presented each graduate with a certificate...

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THE Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has announced the chair of the new Fire Committee.

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, the nine local authority Leaders and the Salford City Mayor confirmed the appointment of Councillor David Acton at the GMCA meeting on Friday, June 30.

As part of his role, Andy Burnham has responsibility for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS), replacing the former Fire Authority. The Fire Committee will oversee day-to-day functions of the service, including monitoring operations, performance and finances.

Andy Burnham said: “I’m pleased to announce Cllr David Acton as chair of the Fire Committee and I look forward to working with him to support our fire service and keep our communities safe.

“Recent tragic events have highlighted the dedication of all our emergency services, and also the challenges they face. We need to make sure they have the resources they need do their jobs effectively. Working with David and the Fire Committee, I will continue to put that case to...

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FOLLOWING the horrific fire at Grenfell Tower in London and in direct response to the concerns of residents in similar buildings in Greater Manchester, the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has set up a housing taskforce, which is being led by Salford City Mayor Councillor Paul Dennett and supported by Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS). 

The taskforce includes landlords of tower blocks across the city region in both private and public ownership, as well as representatives from every local authority in Greater Manchester and other specialist officers who can offer support to ensure every high rise is safe and receives the right fire safety advice. 

Specialist officers from GMFRS have already carried out visits to identify any immediate issues which give cause for concern and have carried out a major joint inspection, alongside housing providers, in every building where the cladding has failed the Building Research Establishment tests. 

Be reassured that...

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Hotpoint has issued a safety alert about the fire risks of two of its fridge freezers and is urging customers to get in touch if they own an affected product.

The two fridge freezer models are:

• FF175BP (White)
• FF175BG (Graphite)

They were manufactured between March 2006 and July 2009.

The model and serial number is usually located on a sticker between the salad container.

More specific details and Hotpoint’s contact details are available on their website.

BEKO has issued a safety alert about the fire risks of some of its appliances and are urging customers to get in touch if they own an affected product. 

Affected appliances include; Frost-Free Fridge Freezers, 8kg & 9kg Condenser Tumber Dryers, 6kg & 7kg Condenser Tumber Dryers and Gas Cookers. 

Click here for more specific details on the affected appliances and instructions on how to contact Beko. 

Jim Hutton, Area Manager and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service lead for the high-rise taskforce, said: “We are working closely with housing providers and local councils to ensure that high-rise building residents are safe - and feel safe - in their homes.

“We have carried out visits to more than 180 high-rise properties in Greater Manchester to identify any immediate issues which give us cause for concern.

“We will carry out a major joint inspection, alongside housing providers, of any building where the cladding has failed the Building Research Establishment tests. These inspections are detailed, taking in the region of two-and-a-half hours, and are aimed at identifying and mitigating risks. Results have now come back from 16 high-rise properties where cladding has failed, and we will have carried out these joint, detailed inspections in these buildings by the end of the day.

“We expect to receive further test results in the coming days and will prioritise inspecting those buildings that fail the test.

“Housing providers in...

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