A block of flats in the heart of Bolton town centre had to be evacuated after reports of a fire, with residents claiming the fire alarm did not sound. Residents at the Sun Alliance House flats on Bradshawgate said they had to leave the building after a blaze reportedly started in the bin storage area at around 1.49pm on Saturday, September 7.
Firefighters and other emergency services were called to the scene, but several residents said they did not hear fire alarms sound before being told they had to leave. One resident said: "I don't know if they will let us back in. The fire alarms didn't go off.
"It was the smoke smell and black dust that came through my window, then I posted on the group and then everyone checked, and we all got out of the building." The building is several stories high (Image: Phil Taylor) She added: "We had to message the group and knock on doors to let people know." The Sun Alliance House in Bradshawgate is understood to be a mixed block of student accommodation and privately rented flats.
There are believed to be a total of 81 flats with a total of around 70 people living inside, with one man saying he pays £720 a month for a studio flat. A fire engine on the scene (Image: Phil Taylor) Several other residents also reported they had not heard any fire alarms either and instead only became aware via WhatsApp messages or knocks on their doors. One man said he was not aware of the fire at all until a firefighter knocked on his door and told him he would .