Blaze sparks search for missing person

The fire at its height

FIREFIGHTERS today began a search for a missing person believed to have been trapped in an intense blaze which engulfed a three-storey building.

Oldham and Chadderton crews joined 45 other firefighters tackling the fire which gutted the large commercial property, in the Deeplish area of Rochdale.

More than 40 emergency calls were made to the fire service when the blaze took hold at around 5.54pm yesterday and plumes of black smoke could be seen from Oldham town centre.

Crews were also told a person was trapped in the building, which housed a company that made rag bales.

Crews from Rochdale, Bury, Heywood, Chadderton, Oldham, Blackley, Hyde and Agecroft, as well as two aerial appliances, tackled the blaze throughout the night.

They managed to stop the fire spreading to surrounding buildings and properties.

Oldham Road in Rochdale was closed in both directions.

Crews were still damping down the fire this morning and an investigation into its cause will begin today.

Oldham Amber Watch Commander Mark Beswick said: “It was one of the most dramatic fires we’ve been to and could bee seen from across Greater Manchester.

“It was a very intense blaze that quickly took hold and destroyed the property.”