Around 30 firefighters tackled a fierce blaze at a day care centre in Withington throughout the early hours of this morning.
Four fire crews from stations around Manchester raced to the scene at the Minehead Resource centre on Dermot Murphy Close at around 9pm last night, following reports of smoke in the area.
Within an hour the building was engulfed in flames fanned by strong winds, and was largely destroyed.
ENGULFED: Flames tear apart the centre on Dermot Murphy Close
No-one is believed to have been inside the building when the fire started and there are no injuries reported.
The roof of the centre has since collapsed along with several walls.
The building in the Old Moat area is used as a social club by elderly people living in the area.
Please avoid #Withington area due to a large fire #manchester #withingtonfire https://t.co/ehbLgaRCM9
— Manchester Fire (@manchesterfire) December 10, 2014
Speaking on Wednesday night, Station Manager Geoff Thornley said: “We have a number of fire engines including an aerial platform at the scene of the fire.
“We are working very hard to get the blaze under control in challenging conditions and expect to be here most of the night.
“The fire is in the middle of a residential area and we asking people who live nearby to stay indoors away from the smoke and to keep their doors and windows shut.”
