Location: Thatto Heath, St. Helens
Fire crews have been called to a flat fire on Stevens Street, Scholes Lane, Thatto Heath, St. Helens this afternoon. Crews were alerted at 12.59pm and on scene at 1.04pm, with seven fire engines and an aerial appliance currently in attendance.
Crews arrived to find a first floor flat above a row of shops well alight. The fire is within the roof space of four brick built terraced properties at the incident site.
The incident is being sectorised and four firefighters wearing breathing apparatus have been committed to firefighting with two hose reel jets. Merseyside Police and North West ambulance are in attendance, with Police managing traffic.
Motorists and pedestrians should avoid the area and residents and businesses nearby should close windows and doors. If you have an existing health condition please keep medicine and treatments nearby and if any ill effects are experienced ring NHS 111 for advice.
The incident is ongoing.
INCIDENT UPDATE 5.20pm
The incident has scaled down significantly with one fire engine and an aerial appliance remaining in attendance. All persons are accounted for and firefighters are dealing with hotspots and damping down in the roofspace from the aerial appliance, monitoring temperatures with a thermal imaging camera. Most road closures have now been lifted but a cordon remains in case of falling debris.