Fireworks warehouse ravaged by a fire

The building, in the Ancoats area of Manchester city centre, was reported to be on fire at 3.25pm yesterday.

The warehouse fire at Ancoats was brought under control by 8pm but army crews remained on the scene to damp down.

Engineers were called in to assess structural damage and consider whether the Victorian building should be demolished.

Cranes were brought in last night but any possible demolition was likely to take place during daylight, according to a military spokesman.

Within eight minutes of the emergency call, a Green Goddess was at the scene and soldiers battled to bring the blaze under control.

Four Green Goddesses and three breathing apparatus rescue teams were in action.

Nobody was thought to be inside the building but two people were taken to hospital as a result of the fire.

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Ambulance Service said one of the casualties was a regular firefighter, one of many who broke their own picket to attend the fire. He needed hospital treatment for a slight eye injury.

The other casualty, a resident at a nearby care home, was taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation. Neither was thought to be seriously hurt.

Witnesses said firefighters from the nearby station had been first on the scene shortly after 3.20pm.

James Kennedy, who runs a barber's shop opposite the burning building, said: "Me and the customers first noticed it at about 3.20pm. Within five minutes the firefighters were here.

"They broke their pickets to come here but I think once they realised no-one was at risk they just left it to whoever.

"The first I knew, I saw a small billow of smoke then the fireworks started going off.

"There was just lots of explosions and slates from the roof were sent flying in the air."

Mr Kennedy said the fire spread to the rest of the building, a former police station.

Linda Jackson, who works at a car rental company adjacent to the building, said she was "frightened" when she first heard the sound of bangers and rockets bursting through the roof.

"It was just like firework night," she said. "The explosions were awful.''

Police imposed a 200m cordon in case the building collapsed.

Around the scene of the fire, hundreds gathered to watch as smoke continued to billow out of the old building.

Many staff pouring out of Manchester city centre after a day's work were frantically trying to find a way home because the fire had closed several of the main routes out of the city.

Every so often, people would gaze into the sky as dozens of multi-coloured rockets burst from the flames as another box ignited.

Other fireworks exploded within the shell of the building, lighting up the faces of the soldiers still battling to contain the blaze more than three hours after first arriving at the scene.

Witnesses described seeing rockets shoot out of the building's roof, sending slates flying into the sky.

Others said it was "just like Bonfire night" as the stocks of explosives lit one after another.

Even Major Gary Candlish, from the King's Regiment, described the scene that first greeted soldiers when they arrived as "an excellent display".