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| Bolton flats blaze: Students 'confused as alarms go off daily' | Bolton flats blaze: Students 'confused as alarms go off daily' |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| A row has broken out over the reliability of fire alarms after a blaze forced the evacuation of hundreds of students. | A row has broken out over the reliability of fire alarms after a blaze forced the evacuation of hundreds of students. |
| Residents fled The Cube in Bolton when the building was hit by Friday's fire, which was tackled by up to 200 firefighters for more than nine hours. | Residents fled The Cube in Bolton when the building was hit by Friday's fire, which was tackled by up to 200 firefighters for more than nine hours. |
| Two were treated at the scene, including one who was rescued by fire crews using an aerial platform. | Two were treated at the scene, including one who was rescued by fire crews using an aerial platform. |
| One resident said many were confused as fire alarms go off "almost every day". | One resident said many were confused as fire alarms go off "almost every day". |
| Assistant chief fire officer Dave Keelan, of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) said: "The fire... really did spread very quickly and that was evident to see on the footage that's on social media." | Assistant chief fire officer Dave Keelan, of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) said: "The fire... really did spread very quickly and that was evident to see on the footage that's on social media." |
| He said an investigation had been launched into the blaze and confirmed the "cladding on this building was not the same as that on Grenfell", which was destroyed by a fire that killed 72 people in 2017. | He said an investigation had been launched into the blaze and confirmed the "cladding on this building was not the same as that on Grenfell", which was destroyed by a fire that killed 72 people in 2017. |
| Forty fire engines were called to the scene of the blaze, which affected every floor after breaking out at about 20:30 GMT. | Forty fire engines were called to the scene of the blaze, which affected every floor after breaking out at about 20:30 GMT. |
| Prof George E Holmes, vice-chancellor of the University of Bolton, whose students live at the block, said "very minor injuries" had been reported. | Prof George E Holmes, vice-chancellor of the University of Bolton, whose students live at the block, said "very minor injuries" had been reported. |
| "I can't say enough about how pleased we were with the response - it's been amazing from all emergency services," he said. | "I can't say enough about how pleased we were with the response - it's been amazing from all emergency services," he said. |
| Urban Student Life (USL), which owns and manages the property, said all residents were successfully evacuated. | Urban Student Life (USL), which owns and manages the property, said all residents were successfully evacuated. |
| In 2016, the firm was criticised for not providing clear written guidelines on fire safety procedures or displaying fire safety notices in one of its student accommodation blocks in Leeds. | In 2016, the firm was criticised for not providing clear written guidelines on fire safety procedures or displaying fire safety notices in one of its student accommodation blocks in Leeds. |
| Resident Afnan Gohar said: "The fire alarms go off almost every day so we just thought this was just another false alarm. | Resident Afnan Gohar said: "The fire alarms go off almost every day so we just thought this was just another false alarm. |
| "We didn't take notice of it until a girl came running and screamed, telling us to get out and we didn't believe it at first." | "We didn't take notice of it until a girl came running and screamed, telling us to get out and we didn't believe it at first." |
| Shannon Parker, who also lives in the building, said: "I heard the fire alarm going off but it kept on going off so I just thought it was a drill at first, until one of my flatmates shouted down the corridor that it was a real fire. | Shannon Parker, who also lives in the building, said: "I heard the fire alarm going off but it kept on going off so I just thought it was a drill at first, until one of my flatmates shouted down the corridor that it was a real fire. |
| "So I ran out the flat as quickly as I could and I saw that it was one of the flats below mine and we went out by the fire exit." | "So I ran out the flat as quickly as I could and I saw that it was one of the flats below mine and we went out by the fire exit." |
| Melissa McGarrigle said alarms in students' rooms did not go off although other alarms were set off inside the building. | Melissa McGarrigle said alarms in students' rooms did not go off although other alarms were set off inside the building. |
| "The fire alarms in the corridor went off but they aren't particularly loud, especially if you're asleep. | "The fire alarms in the corridor went off but they aren't particularly loud, especially if you're asleep. |
| "It just doesn't feel real, everyone thought it was just the fire alarms acting up as usual until we heard people screaming." | "It just doesn't feel real, everyone thought it was just the fire alarms acting up as usual until we heard people screaming." |
| 'Engulfed from outside' | 'Engulfed from outside' |
| Witness Ace Love, 35, said the fire "kept getting more intense, climbing up and to the right because the wind was blowing so hard". | Witness Ace Love, 35, said the fire "kept getting more intense, climbing up and to the right because the wind was blowing so hard". |
| "We could see it bubbling from the outside and then being engulfed from the outside," he added. | "We could see it bubbling from the outside and then being engulfed from the outside," he added. |
| "A lot of students got out very fast, someone was very distressed, the rest were on phones calling for help. | "A lot of students got out very fast, someone was very distressed, the rest were on phones calling for help. |
| "The fire got worse and worse, to the point where you could see through the beams, it was just bare frame." | "The fire got worse and worse, to the point where you could see through the beams, it was just bare frame." |
| Videos on social media showed debris falling from the building and firefighters tackling flames coming out of the windows on the top floors. | Videos on social media showed debris falling from the building and firefighters tackling flames coming out of the windows on the top floors. |
| Eva Crossan Jory, vice president of welfare for the National Union of Students, said it had been "calling for a number of improvements in fire-safety measures in student accommodation". | Eva Crossan Jory, vice president of welfare for the National Union of Students, said it had been "calling for a number of improvements in fire-safety measures in student accommodation". |
| "It shouldn't take another fire to put the issue of building safety back on the agenda," she said. | "It shouldn't take another fire to put the issue of building safety back on the agenda," she said. |
| "Student safety must always be the first priority for accommodation providers and the government." | "Student safety must always be the first priority for accommodation providers and the government." |
| Following a tribunal ruling against USL in 2016, Leeds City Council sent the fire authority to inspect the building the firm owns there and decided it was then not fit for use. | Following a tribunal ruling against USL in 2016, Leeds City Council sent the fire authority to inspect the building the firm owns there and decided it was then not fit for use. |
| 'Overhaul UK fire safety' | 'Overhaul UK fire safety' |
| Matt Wrack, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), said the latest fire was "deeply troubling". | Matt Wrack, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), said the latest fire was "deeply troubling". |
| "This is not how any building should react to a fire in the 21st century, let alone a building in which people live," he said. | "This is not how any building should react to a fire in the 21st century, let alone a building in which people live," he said. |
| "It's time for a complete overhaul of UK fire safety before it's too late." | "It's time for a complete overhaul of UK fire safety before it's too late." |
| Les Skarratts, of the FBU in the north-west, said there would be "hard lessons to learn as the circumstances become clearer in the coming days". | Les Skarratts, of the FBU in the north-west, said there would be "hard lessons to learn as the circumstances become clearer in the coming days". |
| "Greater Manchester has lost more than 600 firefighters since 2010 alone," he said | "Greater Manchester has lost more than 600 firefighters since 2010 alone," he said |
| Football fans attending Bolton Wanderers' match have been asked to donate items for evacuated residents. | Football fans attending Bolton Wanderers' match have been asked to donate items for evacuated residents. |
| The university said it was supporting students, who are being offered temporary accommodation in other student halls and in some hotels. | The university said it was supporting students, who are being offered temporary accommodation in other student halls and in some hotels. |
| GMFRS has asked unaccounted residents to contact authorities to let them know they are safe. | GMFRS has asked unaccounted residents to contact authorities to let them know they are safe. |
| Mr Keelan added a team has "concentrated purely on the high-rises across Greater Manchester to make sure that we learn from Grenfell". | Mr Keelan added a team has "concentrated purely on the high-rises across Greater Manchester to make sure that we learn from Grenfell". |
| "The evacuation procedure and subsequent training - and putting it into practice last night - has paid absolute dividends," he told a press conference. | "The evacuation procedure and subsequent training - and putting it into practice last night - has paid absolute dividends," he told a press conference. |
| "We are going to continue to be here throughout the day and working very closely with the building owner to move this forward in the coming days." | "We are going to continue to be here throughout the day and working very closely with the building owner to move this forward in the coming days." |
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