Arts & Crafts

Event Information:

• GARDEN CENTRE FIRE CLOSES ROAD

  Over 70 firefighters tackled a huge blaze at a garden centre. Crews were called to Wilmslow Garden Centre, on Manchester Road, Wilmslow, just after 5.30am today.

  A spokesman for Cheshire fire service said that the fire was `well developed` when crews arrived and they are now bringing the blaze under control.

  Fifteen fire engines and two aerial appliances attended the scene and plumes of smoke could be seen across the area.

  The fire had spread to a total of four greenhouses, each measuring around 40 metres by 20 metres.

  Crews were able to remove a number of fireworks from a store to prevent an explosion and they also cooled down a number of gas cylinders on the site.

  Firefighters manage to surround the fire and prevent it spreading to nearby premises.

  At the height of the incident over 70 firefighters were involved in tackling it.

  The damage to the building is reported to be `extensive`.

  The fire has forced the closure of Manchester Road and traffic is queuing in both directions between the Dean Row Road junction and the B5358 Station Road.

  Eye-witness Varun Jairath, 36, spotted the flames at 6am. Mr Jairath, a pharmacist who lives on Manchester Road opposite the garden centre, said the flames were up to 35ft high and the fire service did an absolutely brilliant job in preventing the blaze from spreading to nearby homes.

  He said: "It was raging and there were half a dozen engines on the scene.

  "They were battling to get it under control.

  "There was a massive cordon and thankfully the wind was blowing the flames away from the homes.

  "They were getting back-up by the minute and by 7.30am there were up to 150 officers fighting the blaze.

  "The firefighters did an absolutely brilliant job to keep it under control and it did not take them long to allay any fears of the homeowners."

  Around 8am the incident began to be scaled down with the number of engines reduced to eight.

  Crews worked closely with the Environment Agency to limit water running off the site.

  Source: http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1425048_video-and-pictures-huge-fire-at-garden-centre-in-wilmslow