"It was pretty horrific to be honest" - Homes evacuated by pub landlord as fire rips through former swimming baths

A pub landlord began evacuating people from their homes as a once-cherished Manchester swimming baths went up in smoke. Fire crews swarmed Barlow Road after a blaze broke out at the old Levenshulme swimming pools building.

Emergency services raced out to the scene after being called at around 6.30pm this evening (October 10). Flames soared from the roof of the 102-year-old building, which has stood derelict for a decade after falling victim to spending cuts.

At the fire's height, nine fire engines were called out to the scene alongside other vehicles from the service, while police also attended and closed off the road. Mark Dunn, who has been landlord at the nearby Blue Bell pub for 18 years, sprung into action as he noticed the flames.

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The 61-year-old began evacuating people living on the row of houses sitting close to the former baths. He told the Manchester Evening News: "I’d come out to look at something else and there was smoke coming from the building. There were big orange flames coming out over the roof.

"It was pretty horrific to be honest. Really big. There are garages next door with accelerants and vehicles with petrol in so I got someone else to ring the fire brigade and started knocking on the doors and telling them they had to evacuate and move their vehicles so the emergency service vehicles could get through.

“I told them to come over to the pub and I have them drinks and made them cups or coffee, whatever they wanted, all for free. I just did my best. The fire service have been