Fire rips through 12-storey Manchester apartment building (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)

A fire at a 12-storey residential building in the Northern Quarter of Manchester City Saturday evening triggered a major emergency response. Video from the scene shows firefighters swiftly bringing the blaze under control.

There were no fatalities at the Lighthouse building fire, though one person was hospitalized and is being treated for smoke inhalation. Some 12 fire engines were dispatched to tackle the blaze on Joiner Street.

The North West Ambulance Service sent at least seven ambulances and a hazardous area response team to the scene as a precautionary measure. Manchester Police setup a security cordon around High Street and Tib Street and advised the public to avoid the area.

“We still have 12 fire appliances tackling the blaze in the Northern Quarter over a number of floors. Firefighting in still ongoing and one casualty has been taken to hospital suffering smoke inhalation. Please avoid the area as roads are still shut,” Greater Manchester fire and rescue service tweeted. The fire, which is believed to have started on the ninth floor before spreading to the tenth a short time later, was quickly brought under control. Three apartments were damaged in the fire reports The Manchester Evening News.

The Lighthouse building is the tallest residential block in the Northern Quarter area of Manchester City and was constructed in 2008. Apartments in the building sell for over £175,000 reports The Mirror.  

Emergency services in the UK have been on edge since the Grenfell Tower disaster on June 14 which claimed the lives of 71 people. A total of 250 firefighters and 70 engines helped battle the West London inferno.

The official Grenfell Tower inquiry began on September 14. Investigators believe the building’s external cladding accelerated the deadly spread of the fire. The tragedy sparked outrage across the UK, with calls for updated building regulations and fire safety reforms.