LIVE: Family and five-month-old baby escape fire as smoke billows from homes and residents evacuated - latest updates

Emergency services have been scrambled to a street after reports of a serious incident.

Greater Manchester Police together with the fire service and paramedics are at the scene in Heywood, near Rochdale, on Thursday afternoon.

Vehicles are gathered on Lochawe Close in Heywood, which runs off Argyle Street.

According to witnesses at the scene, GMP detectives are also present.

Police officers have been pictured stood guard on surrounding streets, with ambulances and fire engines parked up on pavements in the area.

Images from the scene show multiple Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service engines present, with hose reels running out from the back of them.

Firefighters wearing breathing equipment have also been pictured at the scene.

The Manchester Evening News has approached the emergency services for further details.

This is a live news blog - updates will be available below.

Witness Liam Hughes, 35, said: "I was in the shops and saw the smoke and ran up there, banging on the windows to get everyone out. If I had not gone there it could have been a lot worse. None of them had any clothes on."

Mr Hughes said a man leapt from a first floor window with a five-month-old baby.

Another resident described how she saw the man leap from the window with the baby tucked into his boxer shorts. "He jumped out with his baby and his partner," she said.

"They were conscious. They went into somebody's house. Nobody knows what started (the fire). The roof has completely fallen through."

Darnhill Library and Community Cafe has arranged to open up to help residents who can’t access their homes.

It's based on Darnhill Parade.

The Manchester Evening News understands two adults and a child were taken to hospital for treatment and