Incidents

Firefighters managed to save properties on all sides of a major blaze in an unoccupied former social club on Thursday night.

Just before 6pm on February 4,two appliances from Crewe were called to the unoccupied North Ward Club, Hall O Shaw, Richmond Street, Crewe.

On arrival crews found part of the building already well alight and increased attendance to five pumps and an aerial appliance.

Firefighters wearing two breathing apparatus set started to tackle the fire and two main jets were also put in use.

Residents in houses either side of the former club were evacuated while crews surrounded the blaze as it broke through the roof.

Surrounding streets were cordoned off while crews tackled the fire and pumps supplied water to the scene. Electrical services to the street were isolated.

Crews managed to get the fire under control shortly after 9 pm but are likely to remain at the scene all night.

Fire investigations are underway and officers are working with the police as the cause is suspicious.

Updated at 10.20 am on Friday, February 5

Seven appliances in total attended the incident last night including: 2 appliances from Crewe, 1 each from Nantwich, Middlewich, Congleton, Winsford and Sandbach and the hydraulic platform from Chester. The amount of appliances attending this incident ensured that crews had enough access to enough water to deal with the fire effectively.

This was a two storey building 30m by 20m which was well alight. Crews evacuated five adjacent premises to the building.

The fire is being treated at malicious by Cheshire Police who have arrested a 13-year-old male juvenile in connection with the incident.

Fire crews are still in attendance and a fire investigation is in progress.

Updated at 15:00 on February 5

Currently one fire appliance from Crewe Fire Station is in attendance at the scene awaiting the arrival of a demolition team.

The building is currently too dangerous for Firefighters to enter so once the building has been demolished fire crews will gain access to the debris and damped the area.

Ends