Fire swept through a storage unit in Middleton, destroying irreplaceable keepsakes
A devastating fire at a storage unit in Middleton has seen people losing irreplaceable family keepsakes, including of deceased loved ones.
Fortunately no-one was injured in the fire, which the Manchester Evening News understands has involved lithium ion batteries.
However, many people have been left grieving the loss of precious keepsakes which any potential insurance compensation will not be able to replace.
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Among them is 25-year-old Mollie Lord, who had kept some of her late dad Warren’s possessions in the unit.
She said: “My dad passed away two years ago really suddenly, he got poorly on Monday and died on the Sunday, he was only 48.
“He had a big toolbox with all the tools from over the years, he collected Lego, we’re talking limited edition pieces.
“I thought when I had kids I could pass his Lego on to them so they could have something of his, but now it’s probably all gone.”
Mental health worker Mollie has been left devastated by the fire.
“I’ve been crying since I found out it was on fire,” she said. “I’m in shock that it’s even happening.
“I’ve not grieved my dad, and it feels like I’m grieving him all over again. I would give anything to sit with his stuff again.”
Ann Howarth had also stored her late father’s belongings in the facility.
She said: “This has left me devastated beyond words. My dad raised me himself from being born. He was my everything. He died a couple of years ago.
“I decided to pack up all of my personal items, and my daughters and everything of my dad’s, on Monday this week. I put it all in storage world in Middleton, everything – paperwork, legal documents, my whole life and all of my memories.
“Then just two days later, it goes up in flames. It very much looks like I have lost everything, things I can never get back.
“To say that I am broken is an understatement. There are no words to describe it.”
Engineer Anthony Davies also had precious keepsakes from his late father in the lock-up.
“It’s stuff that you’re never going to get back through insurance,” he said.
“It’s pictures, a watch that he left me, he smoked a pipe and his favourite pipe was in there. He did run for Manchester City years ago and he got a medal, that was in there.
“You expect things to be safe don’t you?”
Luanna Kelly was also impacted by the fire, and told the MEN: “Me and my partner are completely upset and broken.
“We have stuff in there that is sentimental and that money can’t replace like a picture of my partner’s grandma and first holy communion stuff.
“We are completely heartbroken.”
Quan Le shared that he used the facility to help run his business, which has been left devastated by the fire.
He said: “I’m really struggling emotionally right now. I couldn’t sleep at all last night. I haven’t had the strength to go down there and see everything burnt – it’s just too much.”
Crews from across Greater Manchester rushed to the fire yesterday as sickly yellow-tinged smoke belched from the windows.
On June 19 the fire continued into a second day, with the roof of the building collapsing, and with it the hopes of many people to recover irreplaceable possessions.
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) said: “Crews have worked hard overnight to contain the fire at the commercial premises on Old Hall Street, Middleton.
“Six fire engines, the aerial unit and scorpion remain in attendance to tackle pockets of fire and make the building safe in challenging conditions.
“Road closures remain in place with nearby residents advised to keep their doors and windows shut.”
A spokesperson for Storage World, the company which runs the unit, said: “Our Middleton store has suffered a serious fire. Authorities are currently in attendance and we will be contacting customers as soon as the situation has settled and we can assess the damage. This will be no later than Friday afternoon.
“Please do not contact us directly but wait for us to communicate with you, as this will allow us to manage the current situation and ensure all customers are given accurate information as soon as possible.”