Manchester fires keep building control busy

Manchester City Council Building Control (MCCBC) surveyors have spent the last 48 hours dealing with two serious fire incidents that have left a trail of destruction in the city.

A building control surveyor was first called out by the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) in the early hours of Thursday morning to a raging inferno at the Minehead Centre in Withington, Manchester. The fire, the flames of which were fanned by strong winds, razed a local resource centre.

The MCCBC surveyor, who was captured on site by the Manchester Evening News photographer, inspected the building, and following discussion with the incident commander from GMFRS, decided the structure may be demolished due to the devastation caused.

MCCBC was also called out on the same morning to another fire in a row of terraced houses in the Moss Side district of Manchester. The fire, thought to have been caused by an unsupervised candle, caused substantial damage to the property and to the roofs of three other properties. This too was captured by the Manchester Evening News.

Wayne Timperley of MCCBC explained: “Damage was limited to the interior of the premises and the roofs. Manchester City Council Building Control will be involved in ensuring the premises are made safe.

Local authority building control surveyors are on call 24 hours a day. They are often first on site to inspect structures to ensure they are safe for anyone else to enter and to protect the public. They recommend what urgent action needs to be taken and help to ensure the safety of the occupants, members of the public and the emergency services.

Image courtesy of Manchester Evening News.