Residents have raised concerns after an arson attack on a terraced house in Bolton today, May 21.
Neighbours reported seeing a bin alight outside the property, on Ainsworth Lane in Tonge Moor, this morning.
Firefighters battled the blaze but it damaged a gas pipe, causing a gas leak and houses to be evacuated.
The road was cordoned off from Kirkham Street to Jack Street until around 2.45pm.
No one was harmed in the incident.
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said: “Officers were called at around 11am to Ainsworth Lane in Bolton.
“They are investigating the incident as an arson attack.”
Watch Manager Mark Berry of Bolton Central Fire Station said: ”We got the call just before 11am. We arrived and went to extinguish the fire but it damaged an external gas supply, so it was leaking in the area.
“We had to put a road closure in place so there was a safety cordon.
“Cadent are in charge of the gas supply and had to dig up the pavement and road to make the road safe.
“We broke the door down of the property to make sure everybody was safe inside, and it appeared to be empty.”
He added: “No one was harmed but we erred on the side of caution and evacuated properties in a 50-metre area.
“Damage was just done to the front door and to the gas supply, the fire did not progress inside the property.”
Watch Manager Barry estimated crews as having been on the scene for around three hours.
A spokesperson for Cadent said: “We have assisted the emergency service response to the incident in Ainsworth Lane.
“A gas service – the small-diameter pipe which takes gas into a building from the bigger main in the road – was damaged by the fire.
“Our team has made that safe and is in the process of restoring gas supplies to properties which neighbour the one where the fire happened.
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“We attended as the gas emergency service for North West England – on hand 24/7, and 365 days a year to respond to reports of smells of gas, damage to gas pipes or other gas-related emergencies."
He added: “If you ever smell gas, act immediately and call the national gas emergency service on 0800 111 999.”
A nearby resident said: “My husband asked if I had seen the fire outside. We just came outside and I saw some smoke on the pavement and a little bit of fire in the front garden.
“As soon as we came outside, two fire engines came and extinguished the fire.
“They knocked on the door and said we needed to evacuate and had to stand behind the line.
“We were there for around 45 minutes, definitely over half an hour.”
She added: “My husband said straight away someone had probably set the bin on fire.
“We keep our bins in the back lane, so someone must have deliberately brought the bin around the front.
“You feel like, is it safe around here, who did this. Is it just teenagers messing around or was it deliberate?”
Another resident said: "I've had to come home and sort out the chaos.
"I have got two cats, they (emergency services) had to let themselves in through the back and opened the windows.
"It still smells of gas in the house. I had to come home and I couldn't find my cats at first, I found the one but then the other was missing - then I heard a squeal and thought thank God.
"You just don't need this on your doorstep. We got worried as we noticed the front window of the house had been smashed on the weekend."
He added: "But that is very worrying, an attempted arson on your doorstep."
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