FIREFIGHTERS from across the borough were called to a serious house fire in Warrington earlier today after a blaze spread to the roof space of two semi-detached townhouses.
The fire, believed to have started outdoors, escalated rapidly and took hold of the roof area at the properties on Lavender Close, Sankey Bridges, prompting a large-scale response from Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service.
Six fire engines – from Warrington, Penketh (two), Widnes, Birchwood and Lymm – attended the scene, along with an aerial ladder platform. On arrival, crews were faced with significant smoke and flames coming from the rear of the properties.
Six firefighters wearing breathing apparatus were deployed to fight the fire using hose reel jets. The incident was divided into sectors to allow a more coordinated attack on the blaze, and the aerial platform was used to apply water from height.
By 4:45pm, progress had been made in containing the fire. Nearby residents were advised to keep their windows and doors shut due to smoke drifting across the area.
At 5:10pm, the number of fire engines on scene was reduced to four. With the main fire under control, crews focused on extinguishing remaining hotspots. The aerial ladder platform remained in use to assist with damping down from above.
At around 8:30pm this evening, fire crews used the aerial platform to remove sections of roof tiles and continued to tackle hot spots within the roof structure. Firefighters in breathing apparatus entered the affected homes to carry out further checks and monitor for signs of fire spread.
A structural engineer attended the scene to assess the stability of the buildings, and relief crews were brought in to support the ongoing effort.
Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that firefighters would remain on site throughout the night to monitor the situation and ensure the area is safe.
Investigations into the cause of the fire will begin once the site has been made safe. No injuries have been reported.
UPDATE 09:25 (Saturday)
Firefighters have remained at the houses overnight dampening down hot spots. A full thermal imaging scan of both properties has been taken this morning. Crews are liaising with utility companies to ensure the scene is safe before they hand the incident over.
