Crews spent 12 hours dampening a large fire at a house in Oldham overnight, which police now believe could've been caused deliberately. Emergency services rushed to the blaze at the detached house on Derby Street, shortly before 1am on Tuesday morning (July 26).
It was not until after midday that the fire was eventually dampened. Greater Manchester Police cordoned off the area outside the property throughout the day, with the house visibly left scorched on the ground floor afterwards.
Videos from the fire show huge plumes of smoke billowing from the ground floor window of the detached home. It took four fire engines to eventually put the fire out.
Police have now confirmed that they believe the cause of the fire to be arson. They are currently conducting enquiries into the incident and trace down those responsible. Pictures taken by the M.E.N show the house visibly blackened by the fire with heaps of debris seen at the front of the property.
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) said: “At around 12:40am this morning (Tuesday 26 July) we were called to reports of a fire on Derby Street, Oldham, involving the ground floor of a detached property.
“Four fire engines from Hollins, Chadderton, Oldham and Heywood fire stations were quickly mobilised to the scene, where they found the building well alight. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus tackled the fire using two hose reels, and worked to clear debris and make the area safe. Crews were in attendance for around 12 hours.”
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police added: "We were called to a report of an incident on Derby Street, Oldham at around 12:50am on Tuesday 26 July 2022. The scene has now been closed down but enquiries are ongoing into what is believed to be arson."
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