"Oh my god, there's so much smoke," one woman remarks to another as they watch an ominous cloud billow over a road just minutes from their own.
Residents in Broadhurst, Altrincham, said they were awoken this morning by flashing blue lights and the sound of heavy vehicles driving down their quiet residential street as firefighters tackled a large blaze at an industrial unit near Craven Road. When many opened their curtains to see the commotion, they could only sit and stare at the 'massive' cloud claiming the sky over their homes.
Fire crews started to tackle the blaze at J Davidson's scrap at approximately 4am this morning (October 18). Five hours later, residents were still being advised to keep doors and windows shut - and many were still transfixed by the dramatic scene.
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"It's wild," local resident and mother Katie told the Manchester Evening News as she returned from taking her children to school. "I just woke up, opened the curtains, and saw the smoke - it was so dramatic. I opened my curtain and I was just like, oh my god, it's black smoke.
"I just got the school run done as quick as possible - you don't want to be breathing that in."
An onlooker who lives just streets away told the M.E.N she woke up at around 4am to a 'loud bang', before she 'smelled the burning'. "It's a lot of smoke," she said. "I hope no workers were in there at the time. It's such a shame."
"I've lived here 30 years and I've never seen anything like this before," one resident said.
Those living streets away also said their cars had been covered in ash following the blaze, and said they watched the cloud of smoke with apprehension. One man said he could see the smoke 'nearly 5 miles away' at work.
The impact of the blaze on the community was clear. "He's got a bad chest anyway," Katie said, pointing to her young boy in a pram. "This is horrible to breathe."
Another man said he had returned home from work just to make sure his windows and doors were all shut. "I didn't hear it last night, but my wife showed me on Facebook when we woke up this morning," he said. "We opened the curtains and just stared at the huge smoke cloud, just like everybody else."
Over seven hours after crews first arrived on the scene, several remained to continue to control the blaze. Speaking to the M.E.N at the scene, incident commander Rourke said that while the cause of the blaze is still unknown, it is thought to have been accidental, and nobody is believed to have been hurt.
It is believed that the blaze took hold in a large pile of scrap metal at the site, which lies just minutes from a large retail park. Fire crews said the site appeared well-maintained, and business has resumed there this afternoon.
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) said: “At around 4am on Tuesday 18 October, fire crews were called to reports of a fire at a commercial premises on Craven Road in Altrincham.
“Six fire engines from Stretford, Sale, Altrincham, Wythenshawe and Eccles fire stations quickly attended the scene. They were joined by a Command Support Unit from Hyde, a hose laying lorry from Cheadle and an aerial unit from Manchester Central.
“Firefighters have been working hard to extinguish the fire, using breathing apparatus, handheld jets and a turntable ladder. Residents in the area are advised to keep their windows and doors closed at this time.
“GMFRS crews remain at the scene.”
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