The warning that could save lives in Greater Manchester's high-rises

When Grenfell Tower burned, residents were told to stay in their flats. Six years on from the fire which killed 72 people, lessons are still being learnt.

In the months that followed the fatal inferno, flammable cladding of the kind that covered the London tower block was found on many high-rise residential buildings across the country. Some has now been removed, but where it has not, new fire safety measures and evacuation polices have been put in place.

In many cases, the standard 'stay put' guidance for high-rise buildings has been scrapped in favour of evacuation. And after a massive blaze broke out at The Cube student block in Bolton town centre in November 2019, more high-rise residents were advised to evacuate their buildings in the event of a fire.

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Outside of the capital, Manchester and Salford are among the most affected by the cladding crisis which has trapped leaseholders in unsafe flats for years, unable to sell their properties and living in fear of their building burning down. Last year, the government opened a £5bn fund to address fire risks related to cladding on high-rise blocks – but many fire safety issues remain unresolved.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) is now planning to visit around 120 buildings where the evacuation policy has changed to make sure residents know what to do if a fire breaks out. The Local Democracy Reporting Service joined firefighters on a 'day of action' on Tuesday (August 29) when they knocked on doors in Bolton, Manchester and Salford to offer residents advice, reassurance and a reminder to check their smoke alarms regularly.

According to GMFRS, all high-rise