The Trafford Park factory fire: what it means for responsible persons in industrial premises
A large fire at an industrial unit on Clarence Avenue in Trafford Park on 24 April 2026 sent thick black smoke across Greater Manchester, triggered a multi-agency emergency response, and left nearby workers and businesses dealing with the immediate fallout. The cause has not yet been confirmed, but several details of the incident carry clear lessons for anyone responsible for fire safety in industrial, warehouse, or manufacturing premises.
The fire broke out shortly after 1.25pm on Friday 24 April, when fire engines from Stretford, Eccles, and Manchester Central were among the first to respond to reports of a significant blaze at a factory building on Clarence Avenue in Trafford Park. The scale of the response quickly grew: additional appliances, specialist equipment, an aerial platform, and Hazardous Area Response Teams (HART) were mobilised, with Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service working alongside Greater Manchester Police and the North West Ambulance Service to manage the incident safely. Fletcher Risk Management covers Greater Manchester as part of our wider North West service area, so the incident hits pretty close to home for our team.
Drone footage captured the scene shortly afterwards, showing thick black smoke stretching across the skyline near the Trafford Centre, with plumes visible from as far as Ancoats. Eyewitnesses reported hearing two loud bangs before seeing smoke everywhere; nearby workers described metal debris falling from the sky, stinging eyes and throats, and visibility reduced to near-zero. Crews were expected to remain on scene overnight.
Aerial footage by Explore With Ant showing smoke rising from the Clarence Avenue industrial premises.
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that chemicals and oil drums were stored in the vicinity of the fire, which explained both the involvement of HART and the public advisory to keep doors and windows closed across the surrounding area. At the time of writing, the cause of the fire has not been established and investigations are ongoing.
Responsible persons under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 have a legal duty to assess the fire risks in their premises and put in place appropriate preventive and protective measures. In industrial settings, that duty extends specifically to the storage and handling of flammable and hazardous substances. If your fire risk assessment does not address those materials in detail, it is unlikely to be adequate.
Why industrial premises carry distinctive fire risks
Industrial units, warehouses, and manufacturing facilities present a set of fire risks that are qualitatively different from those found in offices or retail premises. The combination of large open floor areas, high rack storage, plant and machinery, flammable process materials, and often limited on-site staffing during off-peak hours means that fires in these buildings can establish quickly, spread over a wide area, and generate substantial quantities of toxic smoke — all before the alarm is raised or the building is fully evacuated. We cover the considerations specific to this sector in more detail on our warehouse and industrial fire safety page.
The Trafford Park fire is an example of how rapidly an industrial fire can affect not just the premises itself but the surrounding environment. Neighbouring businesses were forced to close, road closures disrupted the wider industrial estate, and people working in proximity to the incident faced immediate health concerns from smoke inhalation. These are the consequences that a thorough fire risk assessment is intended to anticipate and mitigate — not merely for those occupying the building, but for people in adjacent properties and the broader public.
Hazardous substances: a specific duty under the FSO
The detail that stood out most clearly in early reporting was the presence of chemicals and oil drums near the seat of the fire. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person is required to identify hazards, assess the risk to people from those hazards, and put in place measures to reduce that risk to as low as is reasonably practicable. Where flammable liquids, compressed gases, or other hazardous substances are stored or used on the premises, this creates specific obligations that go beyond standard fire precautions.
Those obligations include ensuring that quantities of flammable material stored are kept to the minimum necessary for operations, that storage arrangements comply with relevant guidance such as the HSE's guidance on the storage of flammable liquids in containers (HSG51) and the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (DSEAR), that appropriate separation distances are maintained between hazardous storage and ignition sources, and that the fire risk assessment is reviewed whenever the use or quantity of hazardous substances changes. The involvement of HART in Friday's incident reflects how seriously fire services treat the presence of chemicals at a fire — and responsible persons should approach that risk with equivalent seriousness in their planning. If you are unsure whether your current arrangements are adequate, our FAQs cover some common questions, and our team is always happy to talk through your situation.
Ground-level footage showing the scale of the smoke at the Clarence Avenue site.
The emergency plan: are you prepared for an incident of this scale?
For many industrial premises, a fire emergency plan amounts to little more than an evacuation procedure. That is a necessary starting point, but it does not cover all of the scenarios that an incident such as Friday's fire illustrates. A thorough emergency plan for a facility that stores hazardous materials should address the actions to be taken by employees in the event of a fire or explosion, including the identification of a safe assembly point positioned away from the likely direction of smoke travel; the information to be passed to the fire service on arrival, such as the nature and location of hazardous substances stored on site; the arrangements for liaising with neighbouring businesses or occupiers if an incident is likely to affect them; and the procedures for managing a prolonged incident where crews remain on site for an extended period and normal business operations are suspended.
This last point is easily overlooked. Fires at industrial premises do not always resolve within an hour or two. GMFRS indicated that crews were expected to remain at Trafford Park overnight, and the surrounding businesses lost their working day as a result. Whether your emergency plan accounts for that kind of sustained disruption — to staff, to suppliers, to customers — is worth considering before it becomes a live question. Fire safety training for your staff and fire marshals is part of ensuring those plans are understood and can be acted on effectively, not simply written down.
Structural fire protection and compartmentation
Reports described a significant fire involving part of a factory building, which raises the question of how effectively fire was contained within the premises. Compartmentation — the division of a building into separate fire-resistant zones — is one of the primary passive fire protection measures for limiting the spread of fire, heat, and smoke within a large industrial building, and for giving occupants adequate time to escape before structural elements are compromised.
In older industrial premises in particular, compartmentation can be undermined by modifications made over time: penetrations through fire-resisting walls or floors that have not been properly sealed, fire doors that have been wedged open or replaced with standard doors, and services routed through fire barriers without appropriate firestopping. The responsible person is required to ensure that the fire risk assessment considers the condition and adequacy of these measures, and that any deficiencies are remedied. A fire door inspection is often the first step in understanding whether the passive fire protection in a building is performing as it should.
If your premises has been modified, subdivided, or changed in use since it was originally constructed, the passive fire protection measures in place may no longer reflect the current risk profile. A fire risk assessment that does not account for those changes is unlikely to satisfy your duties under the FSO — and a fire door inspection may reveal deficiencies that are not visible without specialist assessment.
What a thorough fire risk assessment for industrial premises should cover
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies to virtually all non-domestic premises, including factories, warehouses, distribution centres, and light industrial units. Where ten or more people work in a building, the significant findings of the fire risk assessment must be recorded in writing, along with any actions taken or planned. For premises where hazardous substances are present, or where the fire risk is otherwise elevated, the responsible person would be prudent to record the assessment regardless of the number of occupants. The following areas should be considered as a minimum.
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Ignition sources
Identify all potential sources of ignition in the premises, including electrical equipment, heating systems, hot work processes, and — where relevant — sources of static electricity or spontaneous combustion.
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Fuel sources
Assess the nature, quantity, and storage arrangements of all combustible and flammable materials on the premises, with particular attention to any substances falling under DSEAR or HSG51.
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People at risk
Consider all people who may be at risk from a fire, including employees, contractors, visitors, and people in neighbouring premises or the wider public who may be affected by smoke or structural failure.
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Preventive measures
Evaluate the adequacy of existing measures to reduce the likelihood of fire, such as hot work permit systems, electrical maintenance regimes, and controls on the use and storage of flammable materials.
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Protective measures
Review passive and active fire protection measures — compartmentation, fire doors, detection and alarm systems, suppression systems, and emergency lighting — and identify any deficiencies.
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Emergency arrangements
Assess the adequacy of the emergency plan and evacuation procedures, including arrangements for informing the fire service about hazardous materials, managing a prolonged incident, and coordinating with neighbouring occupiers. Fire safety training ensures your staff can act on those arrangements when it matters.
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Review and update
Ensure the assessment is reviewed whenever there is reason to suspect it is no longer valid — such as a change of use, a change in the substances stored, a change in the number or nature of occupants, or following any fire or near-miss on the premises.
A note on neighbouring premises and shared risk
One aspect of the Trafford Park fire that deserves particular attention is the effect on adjacent businesses. Smoke inhalation, debris, road closures, and enforced closure affected workers and businesses that had no direct involvement in the incident. Under the FSO, where premises share a building or are in close proximity, responsible persons have an obligation to coordinate their fire safety arrangements and to consider the risks that their premises may pose to others, and vice versa. This is sometimes overlooked in standalone industrial units, where the focus naturally falls on the risks internal to the building, but it is a live duty and one that Friday's events illustrate with some force.
If you manage or occupy a unit on an industrial estate, it is worth considering whether you have any established lines of communication with neighbouring occupiers about fire safety, and whether your emergency plan accounts for the possibility that a fire in an adjacent building may require you to evacuate or restrict access to your own premises at short notice. Our warehouse and industrial sector page covers the particular responsibilities that apply to occupiers in shared industrial environments, and our team works with offices and commercial premises across the same estates where these obligations often arise alongside each other.
Does your fire risk assessment reflect the actual risk in your premises?
We carry out fire risk assessments for industrial premises, warehouses, and manufacturing facilities across Chester, Cheshire, the Wirral, and the wider North West. If your assessment is overdue, if your premises has changed since it was last reviewed, or if you store hazardous materials and want to ensure your arrangements are adequate, please get in touch.