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Blaze destroys club
Inside the destroyed club
A DISUSED working men’s club near to Wigan town centre has been gutted by fire.
Crews from Wigan, Hindley and Atherton were required to put out the blaze at the Upper Morris Street club, Scholes, on Sunday morning.
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue confirmed that the flames had been brought under control just before 10am and that nobody was inside the building as the fire raged.
But due to the amount of upholstery and furniture still present within the premises, firefighters required special equipment to get to the source of the blaze through a dense black smoke.
A spokesman said: “The cause is still unknown although we found that a small hole in the wall had been made for people to gain access to the building.
“Maybe the fire had been started by people who had got in and were trying to keep warm.
“Although we can’t be certain at this stage, that does seem like a potential reason for the fire to be started.
“Due to the material and furniture still present in the building, the smoke was very thick and six breathing apparatus were required.
“But I’m happy to say that the fire was put out without any further complications and there were no injuries.”
Fire crews remained at the scene throughout the morning and local roads were closed for a short period.
The building has been out of use since 2011 and rumours were rife last summer that McDonald’s were planning to flatten the premises and build a drive-through style development.
The American fast food chain already has outlets in Standishgate and Gower Street and was understood to favour the Morris Street location for its access to the town centre.
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Weather for Wigan
Saturday 25 May 2013
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 4 C to 16 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 7 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: West
