Fire Guts Listed Church in Salford

Church of the Ascension in Lower Broughton

A Grade II listed church in Salford was gutted last night by a huge fire which illuminated the skyline into the early hours of the morning.

Six fire crews were called at 11.10pm to the Church of the Ascension in Lower Broughton. Firefighters brought the blaze under control by about 4am, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said.

No one was injured in the fire, which destroyed the roof of the church and ripped through the inside of the building.

Pictures on social media showed the church a glowing husk of orange with firefighters attempting to damp the flames from raised platforms.

The fire service tweeted a set of pictures, adding: “Father Norman Price, who carried out his first Mass here in 1990, is at the scene helping by serving refreshments to firefighters.”

The church, which was built in 1869, was a functioning place of worship. On its website the Diocese of Manchester says it was “in the middle of a huge and expensive regeneration project”.

The fire service was due to remain on the scene throughout this morning. An investigation into the cause of the fires is expected to follow.

Liam Cole, 17, who lives near by, said that he ran out after spotting a flash of orange light. “Initially it wasn’t that bad but all of a sudden it was engulfed in flames and the roof started falling through. There was a lot of ash and smoke from the roof going on the people standing very close.”