Blaze which gutted a former Wigan social club and restaurant is finally put out

The cause of a blaze which gutted a former Wigan social club and restaurant is under investigation.
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Flames tore through the interior of the one-time Shanghai Palace and Beer Engine on Poolstock as dozens of firefighters descended on the scene.

The last crew only left more than 18 hours after the inferno was first reported and council staff have since boarded up the surviving structure.

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From the outside, the premises look relatively intact, but that is because the building has a metal frame and roof.

Emergency services at the scene on the afternoon of Monday October 24Emergency services at the scene on the afternoon of Monday October 24
Emergency services at the scene on the afternoon of Monday October 24
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At the height of the emergency on the afternoon and evening of Monday October 24, the fire service’s aerial platform based at Leigh was deployed along with an appliance called the Scorpion which can harpoon hard materials including metal and then blast high-pressure water through the holes it has pierced.

A Wigan Council notice outside the wrecked building and dated August 9 says that a planning application has been received to demolish the former eatery and replace it with a three-storey building for 24 supported living apartments plus the creation of six bungalows.

The Chinese restaurant closed several years ago and has deteriorated into one of Wigan’s worst eyesores since.

A notice outside the former Shanghai Palace shows an application has been made to demolish it to make way for a three-storey building for 24 supported living apartments and six bungalows.A notice outside the former Shanghai Palace shows an application has been made to demolish it to make way for a three-storey building for 24 supported living apartments and six bungalows.
A notice outside the former Shanghai Palace shows an application has been made to demolish it to make way for a three-storey building for 24 supported living apartments and six bungalows.
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The incident caused major disruption to Monday evening rush hour traffic with Poolstock closed from 4.30pm when the fire was first reported, to 1am the next day.

Crews from Wigan, Hindley, Atherton and Leigh attended initially and further crews from Salford and Farnworth helped out with damping down duties through the night.

But it was only midway through the following morning that the blaze was declared completely extinguished and the last engine left.

Wigan watch manager Paul Gibbons said: “Looking at the place from the outside, you wouldn’t think the incident was that bad, but the insides were very badly affected, including most of the internal structure and the roof lining. The suspended ceiling had also come down.

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"If it wasn’t for the metal frame, it would have been demolished.”

He added that there was not going to be an investigation by Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service experts but the matter was in the hands of the police.