Council thanks community following Crewe fire

Cheshire East Council has thanked the community in Crewe for their response and resilience following the devastating fire at a commercial property at Catherine Street.

Hundreds of residents were displaced by the incident as emergency services fought to put out the fire.  An emergency cordon and a number of road closures were put in place. The council set up an emergency rest centre at Crewe Lifestyle Centre for residents who had to leave their homes overnight. 

Once the fire was extinguished and demolition of the remaining structure was completed, the cordon and remaining road closures were lifted on Sunday evening at around 8pm. The council’s environmental services company, Ansa, started a clean-up of the surrounding streets, clearing ash, dust and debris.

Councillor Nick Mannion, leader of Cheshire East Council, said:

“I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the Crewe community, emergency services, businesses, volunteers and Cheshire East Council staff who supported the response to the fire in Crewe on Friday evening and over the weekend. 

“Thankfully, emergency services reported no casualties, despite the devastating scale of this incident. 

“Council officers worked through the night and throughout the weekend to ensure that residents were kept safe, well and were informed as the situation developed.  Officers also worked alongside Cheshire Fire and Rescue and Cheshire Police to ensure the response at the site itself and surrounding area, and, later, the lifting of cordons and road closures, was managed safely.

“The fire led to evacuation of dozens of households from the surrounding residential streets.  The council, supported by the British Red Cross, set up an emergency rest centre at Crewe Lifestyle Centre and supported residents through the night on Friday and up to 7pm on Saturday when the rest centre closed.  Thankfully, at this point, most families could return home as the cordon was reduced.  Staff arranged for emergency hotel accommodation for those who still could not return home and had nowhere else to go.

“We understand that this has been an incredibly upsetting time.  If residents continue to feel emotionally affected by this incident, in coming days, they may want to consider seeking further advice and support from their GP.

“The council’s role in responding to major incidents is not always as obvious or well known as that of the police, fire or NHS.  However, the events of the weekend show the important role the council has in supporting our communities at times of crisis.”

As residents look to settle back into their homes, the council has published this: 

guidance on dealing with any remaining ash, dust and debris. 

If residents do find any ash from the fire on their property, it is safe for it to be dampened down using water, and then it can be gently flushed away.  Larger debris should be dampened down with water and then, wearing protective gloves (to prevent scratches), pick up larger pieces carefully and place them within two plastic bags, one within the other (double bag).  The bags should then be sealed and taken it to Crewe household waste recycling centre at Pyms Lane, or call 0300 123 5500 to discuss disposal.

Please do not sweep up or vacuum on dry debris without dampening it down as this could create airborne dust containing ash and other materials from the fire which increases the likelihood of breathing it in.

Residents who need to contact the council about any impacts of the incident should visit our contact us pages to contact specific services, or phone 0300 123 5500.

The NHS have published a useful leaflet for those dealing with trauma: 

nhs_trauma_leaflet.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk 50.1KB)